Manchester City - Bournemouth: The Fortress of Etihad

Before hosting Bournemouth, Man City sits 5th with 16 points, 2 points behind their visitors. A win will surely propel the Etihad side past their opponents and at least into the Top 4. Man City is determined to bounce back strongly against Bournemouth, a team they have scored 18 goals against in their last 5 home victories.

Compared to the severe crisis Manchester City faced last season, Pep Guardiola’s squad is much more stable now. However, the Etihad team has yet to reach peak form, still lacking consistency as their longest winning streak this season is only 3 games.

In the previous round, they suffered an away defeat to Aston Villa. Without Erling Haaland scoring, the team left the field with a loss. It can be said that relying on Haaland is a double-edged sword for Man City.

Man City needs an impressive performance to restore their image as title contenders, and Bournemouth is the perfect opponent. They have always won convincingly in 7 home matches against this team in the Premier League, scoring 31 goals while conceding only 5.

Man City’s current form is improving, and they want to prove the loss to Aston Villa was just an accident. To hunt for a fourth consecutive home win, Spanish coach Pep Guardiola rotated 10 players in the midweek League Cup match to prepare the strongest squad for this game.

In this match, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is certain to start as the lone forward and is expected to increase his tally of 11 goals this season.

However, to make a strong comeback in the title race, Man City must address some weaknesses, notably their over-reliance on Haaland. Both times the Norwegian star played but failed to score in the Premier League this season, Man City lost. Haaland has contributed 65% of the team’s 17 goals. In the recent match against Swansea, without Haaland on the pitch, Man City’s forwards struggled, only securing progression thanks to two late goals.

Man City’s opponent this round, Bournemouth, has been very impressive since the start of the season. In the previous round, The Cherries won 2-0 against Nottingham Forest to rise to second place. This is truly an achievement for Bournemouth. Man City will be a tough challenge, and the result at Etihad will demonstrate the capability of coach Andoni Iraola’s squad this season.

Can Bournemouth maintain their second place after round 10 of the Premier League when they must visit a much stronger Manchester City at Etihad? Securing points away from Etihad is considered a tough task for The Cherries.

This could be the right moment for Bournemouth to break their losing streak at Etihad since their promotion to the Premier League exactly 10 years ago. Given their current form, if any team can punish City, it might well be Bournemouth.

The clash between Man City and Bournemouth will take place at 23:30 on November 2nd.

Schedule for Premier League Round 10, 2025 - 2026 on November 2nd

21:00: West Ham – Newcastle

23:30: Man City – Bournemouth