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Match preview
After slipping up last weekend, will Manchester City get back on track in Dorset?
A week ago, despite taking the lead through Bernardo Silva, and dominating throughout, the Citizens were held to a 1-1 draw at the City Ground by Nottingham Forest.
This saw Pep Guardiolaâs team fall two points behind Arsenal in the title race, having won just one of their last four away games.
Then, Wednesday nightâs Champions League last 16 first leg against RB Leipzig followed a remarkably similar pattern.
RiyÄḠMaḼrez broke the deadlock in the first half at Red Bull Arena, but the Bundesliga side improved after the break and earned a 1-1 draw.
Obviously, Man City are overwhelming favourites to get through on 14 March, but they continue to not be at their brilliant best.
Since the Cherries were first promoted to the Premier League in 2015, theyâve lost all 12 meetings with Man City, conceding 36 goals, including the usual 4-0 drubbing at the Etihad in August.
This includes a 1-0 home defeat in 2019, in which Bournemouth failed to have a single shot on or off target, the only time thatâs ever happened in English professional football since records began.
In the more recent past, last Saturday to be precise, Gary OâNeilâs side claimed a victory that was crucial and surprising in equal measure.
Marcus Tavernier the only scorer, coming just after half time, as Bournemouth beat Wolves at Molineux.
This was the Cherriesâ first victory since before the World Cup, but saw them leap out of the relegation zone, above West Ham and Leeds.
The win was all the more important given that, after this, OâNeilâs team take on Arsenal and then Liverpool.
Can Bournemouth kick off that very daunting sequence of fixtures by beating Man City for the first time ever?
Bournemouth team news
Marcus Tavernierâs goal at Molineux should earn him another start here, probably keeping Jaidon Anthony on the bench.
Jordan Zemura hobbled off late on in that win so, if heâs not fit, MatĂas ViĂąa will come in at left-back.
With Lewis Cook nursing a knee injury, Philip Billing will continue to partner Jefferson Lerma in midfield.
Predicted XI (4-4-1-1): Neto; Smith, Stephens, Senesi, Zemura; Lerma, Billing, Ouattara, Tavernier, Traorè; Solanke.
Manchester City team news
Neither Kevin De Bruyne nor Aymeric Laporte traveled to Leipzig due to illness, while John Stones is still sidelined.
Pep Guardiola didnât make a single substitution in that Champions League draw, suggesting that he doesnât trust his squad very much.
He did though have ÂŁ50 million signing Kalvin Phillips, Phil Foden, Rico Lewis and JuliĂĄn Ălvarez, amongst others, in reserve in Germany, so donât feel too sorry for Pep.
Left-back continues to be a problem position for Man City, specifically the fact that they donât really have one.
Nathan AkĂŠ is the most logical choice, while summer singing Sergio GĂłmez, who is a left-back, hasnât featured in the league since 8 October.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, AkĂŠ; Rodri, GĂźndoÄan, Silva, MaḼrez; Grealish, HĂĽland.
Bournemouth vs Manchester City: Head to head statistics
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Premier League table
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