An in-depth look at our next opponents…
We go to the Vitality Stadium for a 19:30 (UK) kick-off on Tuesday 19 May for our penultimate game of the season.
City are well aware of the stakes, with victories likely required against both Bournemouth and Aston Villa as well as favourable Arsenal results if we’re to win yet another Premier League title.
With the help of Opta data, we look at the side standing in our way…
Recent form
2025/26 could well end up being the greatest in Bournemouth’s history, as they came into the weekend sixth in the Premier League.
It requires a series of permutations to be hit, but staying there could lead the Cherries to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
They have 55 points from 36 games and are unbeaten in their 16 league outings.
Preferred lineup
Bournemouth have stuck with their trusty 4-2-3-1 for the vast majority of their time in the Premier League.
Djordje Petrovic is the undisputed first choice goalkeeper and has played every Premier League game so far.
Adrien Truffert has matched him at left-back with Marcos Senesi and James Hill the preferred central option.
It’s likely experienced campaigner Adam Smith will be the man on the right of the defence.
Alex Scott is the main man in the centre of midfield, with either Ryan Christie or Tyler Adams partnering him.
Ahead of them, Marcus Tavernier, David Brooks, Justin Kluivert, Amine Adli, Rayan and Junior Kroupi can all play in the three roles behind Evanilson.
Manager
After three years of pushing Bournemouth to new heights, this game will Andoni Iraola’s final home match in charge of the Cherries.
A proud Basque man who represented Athletic Club in Bilbao for much of his career before a stint with New York City, Iraola was always regarded as someone who thought deeply about the game.
He truly made his name as a coach with Rayo Vallecano before taking charge at Bournemouth in June 2023.
After an initial rocky start, his attacking and energetic brand of football won a lot of admirers and his reputation has only gone from strength to strength on the south coast.
In the Premier League, he’s won 41 of his 122 games – scoring 168 goals and conceding 165.
Where he will go next remains to be seen.
Head-to-head record
City have won 16 of the 17 Premier League meetings between the sides, with our only defeat coming at the Vitality Stadium in November 2024.
We’ve scored 52 goals in that time, conceding just 11.
Earlier this season, we were 3-1 winners against Bournemouth at the Etihad. Erling Haaland scored twice that day, with Nico O’Reilly getting our other goal.
Tyler Adams netted for the visitors.
How they attack
With 56 goals, Bournemouth came into this weekend as the league’s fifth highest scorers.
A key source of those is their ability to break at speed, with no other side capable of matching their nine goals in transition.
They’re dangerous at both ends of the game, scoring eight times in the first 15 minutes of matches and 16 in the last 15.
Only two sides have scored fewer goals from headers and they’re the 17th most prolific from corners.
While they don’t score from headers, they do send a lot of crosses into the box, with their 503 the fourth most of all 20 sides.
As for possession, they’re firmly in mid table – averaging 411 passes per match.
Exciting youngster Junior Kroupi is their top scorer with 12 goals, two more than our own Antoine Semenyo who netted 10 times before making the switch.
How they defend
The defence is not quite the level of the attack, with the 52 goals conceded making them the 14th best backline in the league.
They’re particularly susceptible from set plays, with no side conceding more than the 23 they have.
But they will press City very high, having won possession in their final third 161 times so far this season – the fourth most of all 20 teams.
They tend to commit more fouls than most, with their tally of 434 the fourth most in the league.
Petrovic is firmly in the middle of the pack for goalkeepers who have played in this season’s Premier League, saving 66.5% of the shots on his goal and keeping 11 clean sheets so far.
