Bournemouth fans were understandably thrilled after their victory over the reigning Premier League champions, a rare occurrence where Manchester City found themselves the target of celebratory chants.
Andoni Iraola’s team will be eager to build on this impressive performance.
City’s first league defeat of the season highlighted their recent difficulties. Following their midweek loss to Spurs in the cup, which ended their unbeaten run, Pep Guardiola’s side showed vulnerability, ultimately losing 2-1 despite a late goal from Josko Gvardiol.
For those quick to declare the title race over after Arsenal’s defeat to Newcastle, City’s showing indicates they are not taking anything for granted.
While Bournemouth didn’t necessarily “want it more,” they certainly outworked City—a rarity for a Guardiola-managed team.
City delivered a disjointed performance that reflected the result they earned. Guardiola’s frustration was clear from the sidelines, but he kept his composure regarding the team’s ongoing challenges.
Guardiola has grown increasingly exasperated with a growing injury list.
He recently stressed that players need to push through injuries, yet even with the returns of Jeremy Doku, Kyle Walker, and Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones and Ruben Dias joined the ranks of the sidelined.
With City maintaining a deliberately small squad, as Guardiola prefers, they have had to cope with high demands.
Recent data reveals that the team’s top players have averaged over 60 games per season since 2018. Four of these key players, including Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Ederson, started against Bournemouth, so this situation is not new.
However, navigating these difficulties is challenging, especially on a rainy day on the south coast against a Bournemouth team that has already beaten Arsenal at home this season.
Under Iraola’s guidance, Bournemouth has improved significantly, so it was no surprise to see them celebrate their opening goal shortly after Ederson’s double save in the second minute.
The home crowd erupted as Milos Kerkez raced past Foden, and Antoine Semenyo outmuscled Gvardiol before turning and firing the ball into the far corner. City’s players were just a moment too slow to respond and had no excuses for their lapse.
City has become accustomed to conceding the first goal this season, often managing to respond at critical moments. Against Bournemouth, there were glimpses of that potential, but, as has been the case frequently, they took too long to break down their opponents.
Every time City appeared to gain momentum, Bournemouth quickly thwarted their efforts with a few well-placed passes.
In a notable moment, Walker lost possession to Semenyo, fouled him, and then punched the ball in frustration. Guardiola gestured to his bench, but Nathan Ake, already struggling with an injury, could no longer continue, leading to Rico Lewis’s introduction.
It was a day when City’s defense was too porous to contain Bournemouth’s attack, as Evanilson extended the lead with a header from Kerkez’s cross midway through the second half.
In a tense injury-time period, Bournemouth’s chants briefly quieted when Gvardiol powered a header, adding some last-minute excitement. However, City likely lacked the energy to challenge the result or any grievances with the officiating.
