Manchester City will be looking to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League table when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams meet for the first time since February when the Citizens secured a slender 1-0 away victory courtesy of a first-half strike from Phil Foden.
Match preview
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Bournemouth are one of three Premier League teams, along with Fulham and Newcastle United, who have won three, drawn three and lost three of their opening nine matches this season, while they have also scored and conceded 11 goals each.
Since losing 1-0 at Leicester City at the beginning of October, the Cherries have picked up four points across their last two fixtures against Arsenal and Aston Villa, with a hard-fought 2-0 victory at home to the former followed by a last-gasp 1-1 draw with the latter last weekend.
Club-record signing Evanilson netted a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser to help Andoni Iraola's side snatch a point at Villa Park and they now sit 11th in the Premier League table, four points behind the top seven and eight points clear of the relegation zone.
A third consecutive game against a team from last season's top four is up next for Bournemouth, who will endeavour to beat Man City for the first time in their history this weekend. Indeed, the Cherries have drawn two and lost 18 of their previous 20 league meetings, the most one side has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.
Bournemouth have also lost all 11 of their Premier League games against teams starting the day top of the table, the worst 100% loss rate against an opponent in the division's history, but they have collected seven of their 11 top-flight points on home soil this term, winning their last two matches in the process, which should provide them with some confidence heading into Saturday's contest.
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After starting the season with a 14-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W11 D3), Man City were condemned to their first loss of the campaign on Wednesday night when they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16 of the EFL Cup.
An understrength, injury-hit Citizens side put up an admirable fight in North London and Matheus Nunes's strike in first-half stoppage time gave them hope of a comeback. However, a second-half equaliser ultimately eluded the eight-time EFL Cup winners, who have crashed out before the quarter-final stage for the third time in four seasons.
Pep Guardiola hailed his side's "exceptional" performance considering the "problems" that he is dealing with. Indeed, the Catalan coach has claimed that Man City are in "trouble" as he only has "13 players" at his disposal amidst the club's mounting injury crisis.
Man City may have lost in midweek, but their club-record 32-game unbeaten run in the Premier League remains intact, and they are the only top-flight team who are yet to lose this term, sitting top of the table and one point clear of Liverpool in second after winning seven and drawing two of their first nine games - most recently beating Southampton 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
The Citizens, who are also five points clear of Arsenal in third, will fancy their chances of success on Saturday as they have won all 14 Premier League meetings with Bournemouth by an aggregate score of 45-7 - the best 100% record any team has against another in English top-flight history. Meanwhile, City can equal two of Chelsea's top-flight records if they avoid defeat against the Cherries.
Team News
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Bournemouth's Alex Scott is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, while goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (thigh) and Luis Sinisterra (muscle) have also been ruled out.
Iraola has also revealed that it is "very unlikely" to Dango Ouattara (unspecified) available this weekend, but Philip Billing has taken part in training and is ready to return to the matchday squad after missing the draw at Villa through illness.
Mark Travers is set to remain in goal in the absence of Kepa and Marcus Tavernier could be recalled to take the place of Ouattara, while Evanilson will be hoping to force his way back into the first XI ahead of ex-Man City striker Enes Unal.
As for Man City, Guardiola has revealed that he has 'many injury doubts', including winger Savinho who was stretchered off against Spurs with a "strong knock" to his ankle and "no fracture".
Manuel Akanji (groin) and Josko Gvardiol (knock) will also be assessed, while Kevin De Bruyne (groin), Kyle Walker (knee), Jeremy Doku (muscle) and Jack Grealish (knock) are all set to remain sidelined along with long-term absentees Rodri (ACL), Oscar Bobb (leg fracture).
Guardiola could recall as many as five players who did not start in midweek, with Ederson, Josko Gvardiol - if fit - Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland all in contention to feature in the first XI.
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Semenyo, Tavernier, Kluivert; Evanilson
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic; Bernardo, Gundogan, Foden, Nunes; Haaland
We say: Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City
Bournemouth will view Saturday's contest as one of their best opportunities to claim their first-ever win against an injury-riddled Man City side, and they enter this fixture in high spirits after getting the better of Arsenal and drawing with Aston Villa last time out.
It is difficult to completely write off the Citizens, though, considering their exceptional record against the Cherries, and even though they are understrength, there is still quality at Guardiola's disposal and they may just do enough to come out on top in this one.
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Oliver Thomas
