atlantisthemes – Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth: Premier League – as it happened

That’s all from me. Thank you for reading, and for your emails. Congratulations to City, that win takes them up to second place.

Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth manager, speaks to Sky Sports:

I am quite pleased with the performance. We tried to press them and we have to accept that this [Haaland scoring twice] can happen. They punished us. We had chances at 2-1, Kroupi has two shots, and in those moments we have to capitalise, to get the 2-2.

We have to accept the way we play, there are risks. It’s very difficult to play against Haaland. It we play deeper, we concede a lot of crosses and Haaland is amazing at that. If we press, there is space in behind and he is so fast.

I enjoy the challenge. City can change their structure, they have four/five/six different structures.

Here is the updated standings for the Premier League golden boot. Haaland is waaaaaay out in front, over double the tally of his nearest rivals.

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager, speaks to Sky Sports:

Bournemouth are such a demanding team. But we played really good. We had to be so coordinated with our pressing and with the ball we were so clever. In the Premier League last season [at the Vitality Stadium] they destroyed us. But now we approach Champions League week. We have an incredible opportunity to qualify.

It was 100% clear foul [from Brooks on Donnarumma for Bournemouth’s goal].

A word for both City full backs, Matheus Nunes and O’Reilly. Both were excellent, obviously O’Reilly got a goal, and could have had another in the first half. But Matheus Nunes was also excellent on the right, and pocketed Semenyo, which is no mean feat. Considering the amount of money that City have spent on full backs in recent years, it’s a bit of a surprise that Guardiola has settled on two natural midfielders as his first-choice full-backs. But both Matheus Nunes and O’Reilly are fast, powerful, very good on the ball and increasingly impressive defensively. Pep is obviously putting in that work on the training ground. Others like Stones, Ake, Ait-Nouri, Savio and Rico Lewis are having to make do with a place on the bench.

It’s a fine line between brave and stupid in terms of pressing. Bournemouth so nearly took a first minute lead after nicking the ball in a high press. Later, though, the visitors were undone by being overly aggressive, with City able to beat the press and get Haaland into the space behind.

Erling Haaland is the first to speak to the Sky Sports cameras:

An important win. It’s good to bounce back after losing a bad away game [at Aston Villa]. I did my job. We know Cherki’s qualities, two amazing assists today for me.

I think there were a few fantasy football managers that were unhappy that I was subbed off. You need to ask Pep about that [denying him a hat-trick].

As good as Bournemouth have been this season, I think Iraola will have to shoulder most of the blame for that defeat. His side’s high line made them a sitting duck for City’s attackers, with Cherki and Haaland repeatedly combining to punish Bournemouth. Haaland could have had a first-half hat-trick, while O’Reilly also went clean through on goal. Bournemouth improved defensively after half-time but I wonder if Iraola will make mention of that first-half tactical mistake in his post-match interview.

Pep Guardiola look like a happy chap as he chats to Haaland on the post-match lap of the pitch, as they applaud the fans. City are not out of the title race.

This is the updated table.

City are up to second, bumping Bournemouth down to fourth on goal difference.

90+4 min: Bournemouth have failed to mount a meaningful comeback since that third City goal on the hour mark. In fact, it’s City that look the more likely scorers in stoppage time, as Reijnders pings a fierce shot straight at Petrovic.

90+2 min: Haaland is given the player of the match award by the Etihad Stadium announcer. Fair play, but could easily have been Cherki or even O’Reilly.

90 min: Five minutes added on.

City make two more changes: Rodri and Ait-Nouri on for Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden. What a pair of players to bring on.

88 min: Semenyo tries again to drive past Matheus Nunes but the Portuguese shuts the door. The City right back has quietly had an excellent day and has neutralised Bournemouth’s biggest threat on that left wing.

86 min: Bournemouth toss a hopeful cross up towards Evanilson, but the Brazilian is crowded out by Dias and Gvardiol. Donnarumma collects the loose ball but is prevented from kicking long by Kluivert. The Bournemouth man is booked, somewhat harshly.

83 min: Considering he is regularly warming the bench for City, I was surprised to see last month that Savinho has signed a new, improved contract until 2031. The Brazilian has been good since arriving last summer, but has never really hit the heights of Riyad Mahrez on that right wing. Savinho tries to take on Truffert, on a yellow card remember, but the City man is dispossessed. The home crowd groan.

81 min: Another change as Haaland is replace by Marmoush. The Norwegian looks thoroughly fed up as he slumps into his seat on the City bench, denied his chance for yet another hat-trick.

79 min: A brief stoppage in play while Adams gets some treatment. The American is actually not going to be able to continue, and Gannon-Doak comes on. Bournemouth are going for it, apparently.

76 min: Only Liverpool and Brighton have scored more goals in the final 14 minutes (plus stoppage time) of games in the Premier League this season. So this game is not done, by any stretch.

74 min: City have settled into a mid-block, content to protect their lead and let the athleticism and pace of Haaland, Savinho and Reijnders worry Bournemouth on the counter.

72 min: Both sides make changes. Doku and Cherki come off, Savinho and Reijnders. Two assists but plenty more besides, this was Cherki’s best performance to date in a City shirt.

Bournemouth also change Alex Scott for Ryan Christie, a straight swap.

70 min: A half-chance for Tavernier at the back post for Bournemouth! Semenyo glides past Cherki and stands up a fine cross to the back post. Tavernier nips in ahead of O’Reilly but just can’t quite make good contact on the cross. So nearly a Bournemouth goal.

67 min: For the first time today, Foden and Cherki combine neatly on the edge of Bournemouth’s box, lending the ball to each other before the latter curls a shot just over Petrovic’s bar.

64 min: A booking for Truffert, who pulls Foden back after some lazy defending. A reverse of the booking for Foden in the first half.

62 min: What a frustrating goal for Bournemouth to concede. The visitors had had the better of this second half and could easily be level – with Kroupi spurning two chances. Iraola makes three changes, but are they too late?

Evanilson replaces Kroupi, Kluivert for David Brooks and Lewis Cook for Alex Jimenez, who appears to have a knock after his battles with Doku.

Cherki and Foden combine in midfield – in that space I was talking about – before O’Reilly arrives from left back. The 20-year-old takes aim from the edge of Bournemouth’s box, the ball flying through a defender’s legs on the way to the bottom corner.

58 min: The Bournemouth press and defensive line is much better organised since half-time. There just isn’t the same space in behind, but that does leave more space in front for City’s creators to operate.

56 min: Doku and Jimenez are having an excellent battle on City’s left flank. The Spaniard is sneaky quick, and is doing a good job of marshalling the tricky City winger, who tries unsuccessfully to go around the outside the byline, before Jimenez cuts him off.

53 min: Back come Bournemouth. Brooks is such a silky player that makes football look easy and the Welshman feeds a wonderfully weighted pass into the path of Scott, who finds Kroupi just inside the area … the Frenchman’s shot is saved by Donnarumma! Kroupi’s effort just wasn’t quite far enough into the corner and City’s octopus-like keeper was able to spring to his left and paw it wide.

51 min: Bournemouth nearly catch City cold! For the first time in the match, Semenyo finds some space on the left wing and crosses low towards the back post, dissecting City’s defence and goalkeeper. Brooks can’t get a shot at goal, but he retreives the ball from the byline, cuts the ball back to Kroupi and the teenager flashes a shot into the side netting from eight yards out! The Bournemouth striker had more time than he thought, and rather snatched at the shot, shooting off balance.

49 min: Is there a chance that O’Reilly is still growing? The left-back looks absolutely enormous these days – Google says he is 6ft4in! O’Reilly gets forward and crosses to the back post towards Haaland, who can only divert an awkward header high and wide.

47 min: The first couple of minutes aside, it was a very quiet first half for Kroupi. The Bournemouth striker starts by barging into Gvardiol, channeling the spirit of Roy Keane.

The second half is underway.

Half-time reading:

Here is a list of Manchester City’s scorers this season:

1. Erling Haaland – 13 goals


2. Burnley’s Maxime Esteve – two own goals


3. Phil Foden – one goal


4. Tijjani Reijnders – one goal


5. Matheus Nunes – one goal


6. Rayan Cherki – one goal

Petrovic actually tipped Cherki’s free-kick behind but there is not the time to take the corner, and referee Anthony Taylor blows for half-time.

45+6 min: Free-kick to Manchester City in a dangerous position and Cherki takes the setpiece with his weaker (so called) right foot! Remarkable that he has the license to do that in a team this talented, but the shot is saved by Petrovic.

45+4 min: Jimenez wears his socks low, a la Grealish. It might be commonplace with attacking players but I’m trying to think of another full-back that dons his socks halfway around his calves? Trent Alexander-Arnold maybe?

45+2 min: A booking for Foden, who pulls back Jimenez’s shirt off the ball. The Bournemouth right back was streaming forward on the overlap and Foden dragged him back.

45 min: Five minutes added on here. This has been an enthralling half. If Bournemouth can tinker their tactics, they are still well in this game at 2-1 down.

43 min: Matheus Nunes is the latest man down, clutching his calf (I think). But both he and Semenyo are OK to continue.

41 min: “What is Marcos Senesi thinking?” emails Eric Peterson. “That’s twice he’s fallen for the temptation to surge forward off the line and challenge for a midfield ball within his range, and twice that Haaland has surged into the space left behind and accepted the breakaway that ensued.”

I think that Iraola has got his tactics badly wrong here, exposing some of his slower players like Senesi. But there does come a point where a problem is so glaringly obvious that it requires more experienced players like the Argentinian to make an on-pitch adjustment.

38 min: A heavy collision between Semenyo and Dias leaves the Bournemouth man a lot worse off, clutching his coccyx. After a breathless few minutes, we will have a brief pause while Semenyo gets some treatment.