May 20, 2025
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Fresh off their shock FA Cup final defeat, Manchester City return to Premier League action on Tuesday night, hosting Bournemouth in a must-win clash at the Etihad. With the race for Champions League qualification tightening, Pep Guardiola’s men know there’s little room left for error.
Saturday’s loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final stung — not just emotionally, but also tactically. Guardiola’s side lacked their usual cutting edge, despite dominating large stretches of the contest. The defeat, coupled with key league results elsewhere, saw City drop out of the Premier League’s top five over the weekend.
Victory over Bournemouth, however, could see them shoot back up to third — a crucial step ahead of the season’s final fixtures.
Andoni Iraola’s Cherries are still mathematically alive in the hunt for a European berth, but their margin for error is even thinner than City’s. Now 11th in the table, Bournemouth need results to go their way across multiple fixtures to stand any chance of sneaking into the Europa Conference League.
This is their third meeting with City this season — the first at the Etihad — with the series currently split 1–1. While City edged the FA Cup quarterfinal in March, Bournemouth’s earlier league win will serve as a quiet reminder that they’re capable of causing problems, even on the road.
Recent Form
Man City (All Competitions)
Crystal Palace 1–0 Man City
Southampton 0–0 Man City
Man City 1–0 Wolves
Nottingham Forest 0–2 Man City
Man City 2–1 Aston Villa
Bournemouth (All Competitions)
Bournemouth 0–1 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0–1 Bournemouth
Bournemouth 1–1 Man United
Crystal Palace 0–0 Bournemouth
Bournemouth 1–0 Fulham
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Manchester City
City remain without Rodri, John Stones, Nathan Aké and Oscar Bobb, while Mateo Kovačić is a doubt after missing the FA Cup final. Claudio Echeverri made his debut off the bench at Wembley and could see more minutes, but Guardiola may turn to experience for a must-win clash.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1):
Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gündoğan, Silva; Savinho, De Bruyne, Marmoush; Haaland
Bournemouth
The visitors will be without midfielder Alex Scott, who suffered a broken jaw against Aston Villa. Ryan Christie, Enes Ünal and Luis Sinisterra also remain sidelined, while Dango Ouattara is not expected to recover in time.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1):
Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Cook, Adams; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson
With pressure mounting and Champions League places on the line, expect City to come out with intensity. Bournemouth have shown grit in recent weeks — including away wins at Arsenal and clean sheets against Palace and Fulham — but the Etihad remains an intimidating venue.
Still, Iraola’s side has enough pace and unpredictability to unsettle a City team that’s looked out of sync in recent weeks. The battle in midfield — especially with De Bruyne potentially dropping deeper — could define the match.
Prediction: Manchester City 3–1 Bournemouth
City may be bruised, but rarely do they stumble twice in quick succession. With Haaland back in form and De Bruyne pulling strings, they should have enough to take all three points — though don’t be surprised if Bournemouth keep them honest for long stretches.