Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth chase a second big name scalp in as many home matches this weekend after landing a famous 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Vitality two weeks ago. The Cherries are going along nicely in the Premier League, battling late on to rescue a point at Aston Villa last Saturday.
Their usual possession-based style in their 4-2-3-1 formation will be harder to achieve against the reigning champions on Saturday, but their strong structure is a point worth considering. The Cherries have limited rivals to an xGA of just 13.41 from open play this season, conceding a total of eleven goals.
However, their youthful forward line can still be deemed wasteful after scoring just eleven times despite racking up an xG of 16.00.
Andoni will be forced into changes this weekend, with Alex Scott ruled out until December, but Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie excelled in the holding roles last week. Kepa Arrizabalaga is also no nearer returning but Marcus Travers was excellent between the sticks at Villa Park last Saturday.
Man City have quickly moved to the summit in the Premier League standings after winning their last four, and a four-point gap could be opened up this Saturday.
Possession remains the name of the game for Pep Guardiola’s side, with no side achieving more touches in the Premier League than City this term.
However, Rodri’s long-term absence has forced Guardiola into a tactical tweak, with a 4-1-4-1 being used in recent weeks. İlkay Gündoğan, Mateo Kovačić, and Bernardo Silva can dictate the ball before playing in high-quality stars such as Phil Foden and Savio in the final third.
Erling Haaland remains the world’s most prolific striker, having already netted eleven goals from an xG of 8.50 in 2024-25. Kevin De Bruyne is unlikely to be risked, but as mentioned, City are well stocked in the midfield area. Rico Lewis will play at right-back in the absence of Kyle Walker.
Bet hereThe away side is the most likely winner this weekend, and their chance is only boosted ahead of making a Bournemouth vs Man City prediction based on the fact that they have a 100% record after 15 previous encounters with the Cherries.
However, odds of 1.56 are slim enough given the problems that Bournemouth caused Arsenal on the counter-attack in their last home match.
City have stuttered against lesser opponents this term, winning by the odd goal in matches against Southampton, Wolves, and Fulham in recent weeks.
A low-block has caused City’s creators massive headaches, and the Cherries could have the sting to hurt the champions going the opposite way. Therefore, Bournemouth on the handicap are a very interesting play.
Matches involving Bournemouth and Man City have seen the most corners this season. The Cherries have been awarded an average of 6.89 corners per match, while they have had over 10.5 corners in 56% of their fixtures.
Meanwhile, City average a staggering 9.78 corners per match in the Premier League, and 78% of their fixtures have seen over 10.5 corners awarded.
Alternatively, instead of a Bournemouth vs Man City prediction on corners, it could be worth siding with Bernardo Silva to score. The Portuguese midfielder has an xG of 1.52 at present but is yet to open his league account despite attempting 1.87 shots per 90 in the Premier League. Silva could be a better value angle instead of siding with an odds-on shot such as Haaland.
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