Manchester City 3, Bournemouth 1
Manchester City cruised to victory with goals by Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva, and Nico Gonzalez contributing to a 3-1 win over Bournemouth.
The win meant City went up to 3rd in the Premier League on 68 points, two points ahead of the chasing pack in the race for Champions League football next season going into the final round of games on Sunday where a point at Fulham will likely finish the job at the end of a disappointing season by their own high standards.
It was Kevin De Bruyne’s final game at the Etihad Stadium but Manchester City’s greatest ever midfielder was overshadowed by an amazing 30 yard screamer by Omar Marmoush and the return to action of Rodri in a fitting send off for the Belgian.
Although De Bruyne showed flashes of the talent that has lit up the stadium for a decade Omar Marmoush broke the deadlock after 14 minutes with a 30 yard screamer into the top corner.
Bernardo Silva doubled that lead with a close range finish after an intricate passing move before the end of the first half.
De Bruyne had the chance to underline his brilliance over the years when Marmoush set him up for a finish into an empty net but but he contrived to hit a shot from 5 yards against the crossbar with the net gaping.
Both teams had players sent off in the second half with Lewis Cook departing after a two footed challenge on Nico Gonzalez after Mateo Koavacic saw red for dragging back Evanilson as he broke through with the ball behind City’s high line.
City made sure of the points with Gonzalez scoring City’s third on 89 minutes.
By this time Rodri had made his popular return to action and City didn’t care by the time Daniel Jebbison had scored a late consolation in injury time for the Cherries.
Embed from Getty ImagesPLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 3, Bournemouth 1
Ederson: 6. Early save from Justin Kluivert and was lucky to see Evanilson hit the post when meeting a cross by Marcus Tavernier.
Matheus Nunes: 7. Blocked when looking to go clean through. Provided pace down the right to counter Milos Kerkez. Blocked a chance by Justin Kluivert. Blazed over in the second half but set up Nico Gonzalez for the third goal.
Manuel Akanji: 6. Looked a bit tired. Forward run broke the lines well but went nowhere as Bernardo Silva cut inside at crucial moment.
Ruben Dias: 6. Had a couple of difficult moments when Marcus Tavernier put some dangerous crosses in and was outpaced by Daniel Jebbison at the end of a tiring game.
Josko Gvardiol: 7. Able to raid down the left side.
Mateo Kovacic: 6. Brought a forward thinking approach to City. Missed narrowly in first half. Sacrificed himself to stop Evanilson having a clear run on goal after he had slipped past City’s high line to get a through ball.
Ilkay Gundogan: 7. Drifted into space very effectively, set up City’s second after a series of pinged passes. Long range effort saved.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Set up a couple of early chances, tenacious in the press and got a deserved goal at the end of a classic intricate City move.
Kevin De Bruyne: 7. Flashes of skill but no fairy tale ending at the Etihad. Sumptuous cross from the left was almost outrageously finished by Erling Haaland. Then he hit the crossbar after snatching at a cross from Omar Marmoush just 5 yards in front of an empty net.
Omar Marmoush: 7. Put his Wembley nightmare behind him. Not afraid of a long shot. Linked well and then produced a screamer of a goal lashed into the top corner from 30 yards out. Cross from the left was begging to be finished off by Kevin De Bruyne but he somehow missed. Had room to stretch his legs after Erling Haaland went off and he went up front.
Erling Haaland: 7. Tried to set up Kevin De Bruyne a couple of times, found some good space, just needed better service.
Nico Gonzalez (on for Kevin De Bruyne, 70: 7. On to protect the defence as City went down to 10 men. Took the brunt of a hefty challenge by Lewis Cook but dusted himself off to score a late goal and confirm victory.
Rodri (on for Erling Haaland, 83): Huge applause for the return of the iconic midfielder. No time to mark.
Oscar Bobb (on for Omar Marmoush, 90+1): No time to mark
Jeremy Doku (on for Ilkay Gundogan , 90+1): No time to mark
Jack Grealish (on for Bernardo Silva, 90+2): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 3, Bournemouth 1
Man City 1, Bournemouth 0: 14. Omar Marmoush breaks the deadlock with a 30 yard screamer into the top corner after running freely from half way after Mateo Kovacic picked him out
Man City 2, Bournemouth 0: 38. Bernardo Silva beats Kepa Arrizabalaga from close range after a cutback from Ilkay Gundogan following a fast break high up the pitch.
Man City 3, Bournemouth 0: 89. Nico Gonzalez curled the ball between Kepa Arrizabalaga and his near post from range after turning Adam Smith inside out.
Man City 3, Bournemouth 1: 90+6. Daniel Jebbison gets on the end of a long ball forward, beating Ruben Dias to the ball, and fires a consolation past Ederson
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 3, Bournemouth 1
Man City: Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan (Doku 90+1), Silva (Grealish, 90+2), De Bruyne (C) (Nico 70), Marmoush (Bobb 90+1), Haaland (Rodri 83)
Man City Subs not used: Ortega, Ake, Foden, O’Reilly
Bookings: Ederson 68 (dissent)
Red Card: Mateo Kovacic 68 (last man foul on Evanilson)
Goals: Marmoush 14; Silva 38; Nico 89
Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga, Araujo (Smith 69), Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez (Soler 83), Adams, Cook (C), Tavernier, Kuivert (Brooks 46), Semenyo, Evanilson (Jebbison 83)
Bournemouth Subs not used: Dennis, Senesi, Silcott-Duberry, Akinmboni, Winterburn
Bookings: Huijsen 36 (shirt pull on Ilkay Gundogan); Araujo 44 (foul on Josko Gvardiol); Tavernier 88 (kicking the ball away)
Red Card: Cook 73 (two footed studs up challenge on Nico Gonzalez)
Goal: Jebbison 90+6
Referee: Thomas Bramall