Manchester City got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a solid 3-1 victory over Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium, extending their remarkable record in this fixture to 16 wins from 17 league meetings, Softfootball reports.
Pep Guardiola’s men came into this game looking to respond after last week’s disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Aston Villa. City were boosted by the return of key players Erling Haaland and Rodri, and it didn’t take long for their impact to be felt. The hosts thought they’d been caught off guard early on when Eli Junior Kroupi fired into the net for Bournemouth inside the opening minute, but the flag went up for offside.
That was all the warning City needed. Moments later, Haaland latched onto Rayan Cherki’s clever flick-on and raced through on goal before burying his shot past Djordje Petrovic to give City the perfect start. Bournemouth, however, weren’t willing to roll over, and they equalized less than ten minutes later when Tyler Adams pounced on a loose ball after Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to deal with Alex Scott’s corner.
But Haaland making his presence known after returning from injury restored City’s lead soon after. The Norwegian striker punished Bournemouth’s high line once again, sprinting through on goal, rounding Petrovic, and calmly slotting home his 13th Premier League goal of the campaign.
After the break, Bournemouth tried to mount a fightback. David Brooks and Alex Scott combined beautifully to set up Kroupi, but Donnarumma was sharp to deny him. City’s response was ruthless they patiently worked the ball around before Phil Foden slipped a pass to Nico O’Reilly, who showed great composure to fire into the far corner and make it 3-1.
That third goal effectively ended the contest, as City managed the remaining minutes with ease. The hosts looked much more like their usual selves, dominating possession and showing their killer edge in front of goal.
After the game, Manchester city via its official X handle posted the players reaction to getting maximum points as they were heading to the dressing room. They posted:
With the win, City moved back up to second in the table, just a point ahead of Bournemouth, who dropped to fourth. For Pep Guardiola, it was a reassuring night his side looked refreshed and confident again, led by a clinical Haaland and a commanding foden in midfield.
