Manchester City are set to face Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in their upcoming Premier League match. City, currently fifth, aim to recover from last week's loss to Aston Villa. Bournemouth, sitting second, have been impressive this season. Arsenal, leading the table, play Burnley on Saturday and could extend their lead before City's game on Sunday.
City's recent defeat marked Pep Guardiola's 50th Premier League loss. Despite this setback, they advanced to the EFL Cup quarter-finals by defeating Swansea City 3-1. This season, City have lost three of their first nine league matches, a situation they haven't faced since the 2013-14 campaign when they eventually won the title.
The Citizens have a strong home record against Bournemouth, winning
all eight Premier League encounters at the Etihad. In these matches, City scored 31 goals while conceding only five. Historically, only Manchester United and City themselves have better home win rates against specific opponents in top-flight history.
City's scoring prowess is evident as they share the title of joint-highest scorers in the league with Chelsea and Tottenham, each netting 17 goals so far. However, their shot conversion rate stands at 13.8%, ranking fifth in the league alongside Chelsea. Despite this, City have maintained a winning position for over half of their game time this season.
Bournemouth are enjoying an unbeaten run in their last eight top-flight games (W5 D3), marking their best start to a Premier League season with 18 points. Their recent victory over Nottingham Forest was significant as it was their 100th Premier League win. This form has propelled them to second place in the standings.
The Cherries have spent minimal time trailing this season and boast a better shot conversion rate than City at 14.3%. They excel at scoring from distance, leading the league with six goals from outside the box. Marcus Tavernier notably scored directly from a corner against Forest recently.
Key Players to Watch
Erling Haaland is crucial for Manchester City but missed scoring in their last match against Villa. He has already netted 11 goals this season and leads the league in shots taken and shots on target. Haaland aims to improve his record against Bournemouth, having scored just once in 439 minutes against them.
Eli Kroupi is a standout for Bournemouth, scoring in his last three league appearances. If he scores again on Sunday, he will join an elite group of teenagers who have scored in four consecutive Premier League games. Kroupi has been efficient with his chances, converting four out of five shots on target recently.
Despite Bournemouth's struggles at the Etihad historically, they remain determined to challenge City this weekend. The Opta supercomputer predicts a high chance of a City victory but acknowledges Bournemouth's potential for an upset or draw.
