City under pressure – disaster looms
With just a few days to go until the end of the season in England, it is now certain that Manchester City will finish without a single trophy for the first time since 2017. Guardiola’s team squandered their last chance of silverware at the weekend with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. With two games remaining, the star-studded squad is now fighting against the ultimate disaster. This makes it all the more important that Manchester City beat Bournemouth at home on Tuesday evening.
As this is a rescheduled match from the 37th matchday, both clubs have fallen slightly behind in terms of their (adjusted) season goals. The Cityzens have slipped to sixth place and, as things stand, would have to settle for the Europa League. Their opponents from the south coast can also still dream of international competition, despite being eleventh in the interim rankings. The significance of this match naturally also influences the Manchester City vs. Bournemouth prediction.
Although the home side are still struggling with the aftermath of their lost final and are certainly feeling the pressure, the odds on a Manchester City win against Bournemouth are very one-sided. The bookmakers have virtually ruled out the visitors picking up any points. Those who still want to bet on a surprise coup can take advantage of the attractive Betano bonus offer, including a $20 free bet from Betano.
Manchester City – Statistics & current form
Since Saturday evening, Manchester City’s already messed-up season has finally turned into a nightmare. Had the Sky Blues been able to somehow make up for their disappointing performances in the Premier League and Champions League with a triumph in the world’s oldest cup competition, it is now clear that the Cityzens will remain without a trophy for the first time since Pep Guardiola’s debut season in 2016/17.
City lost the FA Cup final 0-1 to Crystal Palace, despite Pep’s team having almost 80% possession, taking 23 shots on goal and ultimately achieving a significantly higher xG value (2.30 vs. 0.74). Marmoush also missed a penalty. It will now be exciting to see whether the long-standing industry leader on the island can quickly overcome the disappointment of the weekend or whether the latest blow will still be felt three days later.
Does Manchester City have more to fear than ever for the Champions League?
Regardless of the psychological aspect, numerous statistics point to a home win. Among other things, the Manchester City vs. Bournemouth prediction is supported by the fact that the Cityzens have won their last home game in ten of their last eleven seasons. Their perfect home record against their upcoming opponents, with seven wins in seven PL home games, must also be mentioned here.
However, it is also clear that the Sky Blues, who were once nationally superior in every respect, have almost completely lost their dominance. The best example of this was last week’s embarrassing 0-0 draw at relegated Southampton. For the sixth time this PL season, Guardiola’s men failed to score, which is the same number of times they failed to score in the previous two seasons combined.
In light of this and the fact that only six of City’s 36 PL matches so far have seen more than four goals scored, I expect another tough encounter at the Etihad Stadium. With Haaland and Co. However, they desperately need three points to move up to third place and secure a good starting position for the final showdown, so ahead of the match between Manchester City and Bournemouth, I’m combining the odds for another Under 4.5 with a home win for the favorites, who would need help from other results next weekend to stay in the race for a Champions League spot if they lose. You can now place the corresponding match combos in the best soccer betting apps everywhere.
Bournemouth – Statistics & current form
For many weeks and months, Bournemouth was one of the most stable and in-form teams in the English top flight. However, the Cherries have noticeably faltered in the home stretch, long since squandering their momentum in the race for international competition.
In order to still qualify for the Europa Conference League, Spanish head coach Andoni Iraola’s team must finish the PL season in eighth place and hope that Chelsea FC wins the ECL final against Betis Sevilla and does not finish in the top five in the league. Only then, due to City’s aforementioned defeat in the FA Cup final, would the eighth-placed team from the island also qualify for European competition in 2025/26.
Bournemouth needs more than one point
Admittedly, the road to get there is very rocky, because in addition to the “double assist” from London, the Cherries themselves are not in the best position in the race for eighth place at the moment. They are currently in eleventh place, two points behind. If Brighton wins against Liverpool on Monday evening, their ECL exit would be virtually sealed. In other words, Iraola’s team must play for victory against the dethroned serial champions!
That is likely to be one of the reasons why the betting odds for the match between Manchester City and Bournemouth suggest a high-scoring 90 minutes. For example, Bwin is offering relatively high odds of 1.61 for under 3.5 goals. After successful verification at Bwin, you can benefit from the 100% Bwin deposit bonus.
Finally, it should be noted that the Cherries should not be taken lightly. After all, Bournemouth has lost only one of its last twelve PL away games, won at Arsenal FC (2-1) a good two weeks ago, and has not lost away from home since February. Fourth place in the away table underlines the danger posed by the strong team from England’s southern holiday paradise.
Manchester City – Bournemouth Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
15 The clubs have faced each other 15 times in the English top flight so far. With 14 wins and only one defeat, Manchester City leads the head-to-head record by a clear margin. At home, they even have a 100% win rate. In seven PL home games, there have been seven wins and 28:4 shots on goal for the Sky Blues. However, it was in the first leg that Guardiola’s side suffered their first and only defeat so far. At the beginning of November, Bournemouth caught their seemingly invincible opponents at their weakest and won 2-1. The Cityzens took revenge with a 2-1 victory at the Vitality Stadium at the end of March in the FA Cup.
Manchester City – Bournemouth Tip
Looking at the table, the match between Manchester City and Bournemouth is really just a catch-up game between sixth and eleventh place. However, a closer look reveals how much is at stake in the 90 minutes at the Etihad Stadium. The disappointed Cityzens want to catapult themselves back into the Champions League ranks with a win, while the visitors from Bournemouth want to keep their last chance of finishing eighth alive. The match is therefore of great importance to both sides.
Nevertheless, I see the advantage with the hosts, who have won all seven PL home games against the Cherries so far and have sharpened their focus again after losing the FA Cup final. Missing out on the Champions League would be the worst-case scenario for Pep’s team. I believe that City will fight back, so I’m risking four units on the top odds of 2.02 for Manchester City vs. Bournemouth to win at home & under 4.5 goals.
