Man City Set to Clash with Bournemouth: Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
Manchester City has the opportunity to overtake impressive Bournemouth in the Premier League standings this weekend as both teams clash at the Etihad Stadium.
Bournemouth's remarkable campaign beginning has positioned them two points ahead of the Citizens. The Cherries have suffered just one defeat to Liverpool in their opening fixture, extending their undefeated league streak to eight games following their triumph over Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Nevertheless, their impressive form faces its biggest challenge this weekend in Manchester. The coastal club must contend with the power and resources of Pep Guardiola's team—a task they have consistently failed to accomplish on all previous visits to the Etihad. They have lost every Premier League encounter except one against the eight-time champions, with their only success occurring at the Vitality Stadium last season.
City experienced a disappointment in their quest to regain the Premier League crown last weekend when they fell to Aston Villa, but they bounced back to winning form in the Carabao Cup midweek as they rallied from a deficit to defeat Championship outfit Swansea City 3–1.
Nevertheless, Guardiola's team remains in pursuit of Arsenal at the top, making victory against challenging opponents crucial on Sunday afternoon.
Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of the Premier League encounter at the Etihad.
What Time Does Man City vs. Bournemouth Kick-Off?
Man City vs. Bournemouth Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Man City | Bournemouth |
|---|---|
Swansea 1–3 Man City - 29/10/25 | Bournemouth 2–0 Nottingham Forest - 26/10/25 |
Aston Villa 1–0 Man City - 26/10/25 | Crystal Palace 3–3 Bournemouth - 18/10/25 |
Villarreal 0–2 Man City - 21/10/25 | Bournemouth 3–1 Fulham - 03/10/25 |
Man City 2–0 Everton - 18/10/25 | Leeds 2–2 Bournemouth - 27/09/25 |
Brentford 0–1 Man City - 05/10/25 | Bournemouth 0–0 Newcastle - 21/09/25 |
How to Watch Man City vs. Bournemouth on TV
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United States | fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, Telemundo |
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier Legaue, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra, NOW TV |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Amazon Prime Video, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
Mexico | Caliente TV, FOX One, Amazon Prime Video |
Man City Team News
Guardiola has announced that Rodri should be included in the City squad this weekend after being sidelined since early October. The Spanish midfielder, who remains crucial to his team's achievements, is unlikely to start but could feature at the Etihad.
Guardiola has also disclosed that Erling Haaland, the Premier League's leading scorer with 11 goals, is fit after a minor injury concern. He failed to score at Villa last weekend but will be eager to return to the scoresheet against the Cherries.
With both Rodri and Haaland available, City have no injury concerns for the match against Bournemouth. Having fielded a rotated XI primarily against Swansea on Wednesday, Guardiola will return to a more recognizable lineup on Sunday.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth
Man City predicted lineup vs. Bournemouth (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; González; Silva, Reijnders, Foden, Savinho; Haaland.
Bournemouth Team News
Andoni Iraola has announced that Bournemouth's sole injury worry, Evanilson, is ready this weekend after training for most of the week. The Brazilian forward has been unavailable since early October.
However, his path back to the starting eleven is currently obstructed by Eli Junior Kroupi, the 19-year-old talent having netted four goals in his previous three Premier League outings.
Bournemouth will depend on the excellence of Antoine Semenyo at the Etihad, with the Ghana forward having been outscored only by Haaland in the league this season. He has six goals for the Cherries and aims to find the net again after two matches without scoring.
Bournemouth Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
Bournemouth predicted lineup vs. Man City (4-2-3-1): Petrović; Jiménez, Diakité, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Adams; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Kroupi.
Man City vs. Bournemouth Score Prediction
Bournemouth may be positioned several points ahead of City, but Guardiola's team remains the clear favorites for Sunday's encounter. They possess an outstanding record against the Cherries and have discovered their rhythm in recent weeks despite their setback at Villa Park.
Haaland is seldom kept quiet in consecutive matches and the Norwegian will be anticipating adding his name to the scoresheet this weekend, with Bournemouth having allowed six goals across their previous four Premier League fixtures.
The Cherries will mount a strong challenge—they consistently do—but City should claim victory at the Etihad.