Pep Guardiola's side moved up the Premier League table with a dominant win over Bournemouth, moving closer to qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.
Facing the prospect of a first trophyless season under Pep Guardiola since 2016-17, Man City showed their determination after the FA Cup final defeat with an impressive start against Bournemouth. City's early pressure paid off when Omar Marmoush's 30-yard strike opened the scoring in the 14th minute.
Man City dominated Bournemouth after the opening whistle (Photo: Getty).
City continued to press after taking the lead. Kevin De Bruyne was unlucky in his last appearance at the Etihad when he hit the crossbar after a pass from Marmoush. Bournemouth were playing poorly, but the visitors almost had a chance to equalise when Evanilson's shot in the final minutes of the first half bounced off the post. Bernardo Silva then doubled City's lead in the 38th minute, the Portuguese midfielder finishing neatly from Ilkay Gundogan's back pass.
Two goals down, Bournemouth tried to build on the pressure in the second half, but the visitors' chances were wasted when Antoine Semenyo fired wide from the edge of the box. However, the visitors' chance to turn things around was sparked when Mateo Kovacic was sent off for a one-on-one foul on Evanilson, leaving City with 10 men in the 67th minute.
Kovacic was sent off (Photo: Getty).
However, Bournemouth's numerical advantage lasted only seven minutes when Lewis Cook was sent off for a reckless tackle on Nico Gonzalez. Guardiola's side easily took control of the game as numbers returned to parity. Rodri returned from a long-term injury and was brought on in the 83rd minute. Nico Gonzalez made it 3-0 in the 88th minute with a fine strike, securing a sure victory for the Etihad side.
Although Bournemouth scored a consolation goal in injury time through Daniel Jebbison, it did not affect the overall victory of Pep Guardiola's team. Man City still had their 8th consecutive home win in the Premier League, expanding their chances of entering the Top 3 this season.
In the final round, in theory Man City needs to win at Fulham to ensure a place in the Top 5 and a place in the Champions League, however with a better goal difference than their pursuers, a draw is enough for Man City to complete their goal of participating in the Champions League next season.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/man-city-tang-toc-trong-cuoc-dua-gianh-ve-du-champions-league-20250521062958575.htm
Comment (0)