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Manchester City vs. AFC Bournemouth
That’s one way to celebrate your debut. Erling Haaland scored two goals to give his new employers Man City a 2-0 win over West Ham United on his Premier League debut. The Norwegian already proved that he does not need much time to settle in at Dortmund. Back then, he even scored three goals in his first BVB match against Augsburg (5:3). In the second match against AFC Bournemouth, Haaland now wants to continue his goal and record hunt. Kick-off at the Etihad Stadium is at 16:00 on Saturday.
Only one team can be considered the winner in this clash. City are the big favourites for the Premier League title and perhaps the strongest team in Europe at the moment. For the promoted team from Bournemouth, on the other hand, this season is all about staying in the league. The Skyblues have won each of the eleven previous meetings between these two clubs. Find out whether we think they can complete the dozen on Saturday in our Man City vs Bournemouth betting tips.
Man City vs Bournemouth info
– Date & Time: 13/08/2022, at 16:00.
– Venue: Manchester, Etihad Stadium
– Competition: Premier League, Matchday 2
– TV coverage: Sky
Man City Form & Balance Check
After four championships in the last five years, Manchester City are once again the hottest candidates for the Premier League trophy this season. Right at the start, the Skyblues can also be happy about a slip-up of their worst rival after their 2-0 win at West Ham United. Liverpool FC, who beat City 3-1 in the Community Shield a fortnight ago, were held to a 2-2 draw by promoted Fullham FC in their Premier League opener.
Stuttering start against West Ham
Despite a commanding 2-0 win, not everything went according to plan against West Ham. Despite 76 per cent possession, City struggled to create any real scoring chances for a long time. The 1:0 by Erling Haaland (36′) required a penalty kick, which the Norwegian had taken himself. Haaland added the second goal in the 65th minute after a beautiful pass into the depths by Kevin De Bruyne against a wide-open West Ham. Apart from the Norwegian’s two goals, City did not score once against the Londoners.
Man City facts & analysis
– first game won 2-0 at West Ham United.
– have not lost in 13 league games this season (10 wins & 3 draws)
– scored at least twice in 10 consecutive league games (10 wins & 3 draws)
Bournemouth form & balance check
This, and nothing else, is how AFC Bournemouth envisaged their return to the Premier League after two years in the Championship. Against Aston Villa, coached by Steven Gerrard, the promoted side impressed with their bite and good defence. Despite just 34 per cent possession, the Cherries allowed nothing at the back and scored up front from two standards very early and late in the game (Lerma 2′, Moore 80′).
Start and finish qualities
Not only during a game does Bournemouth seem to have their strengths especially at the start and finish, but also over an entire season. In the past Championship season, AFC Bournemouth laid the foundations for promotion early in the season. The Cherries did not lose any of their first 15 league games, winning a total of eleven and thus building a nine-point lead over third place.
With this cushion they survived a weaker phase in which they won only three of twelve games. The drop to third place then released new energy in Bournemouth. Of their last 19 league games, the south coast side have won eleven and lost just two.
Bournemouth facts & analysis
– first game won 2-0 against Aston Villa.
– promoted to the Premier League last season as runners-up in the Championship
– last season the best defence in the Championship with only 39 goals conceded in 46 games
Predicted line-up – last update on 11 August 2022
In goal, defence and the centre of attack for the Citizens, the places are fixed, whereas in midfield we can expect a lot of rotation throughout the season. Against Bournemouth, we expect Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva, who were both initially benched at the start of the season, to start. In their place, Phil Foden and Ilkay Gündogan are likely to slip out of the starting eleven.
Bournemouth coach Scott Parker is likely to field the same side against Man City that beat Aston Villa 2-0 in their season opener. He also adopted a defensive approach against the Villans and let the opposition have the ball. Nothing different can be expected on Saturday.
Man City – Bournemouth direct comparison & stats
As mentioned at the outset, City have won each of their eleven previous meetings. The last time the two teams met was in the 2020/21 season. In the third round of the Carabao Cup, a B eleven of the Skyblues prevailed 2-1.
– Man City won each of its 11 games against Bournemouth.
– Man City scored at least 2 goals in 10 of their 11 duels
– Bournemouth scored in each of the last 3 duels
