Manchester City are aiming for back-to-back wins in their first home game of the 2022/23 season with promoted side Bournemouth taking a visit.
The champions started their season with a 2-0 success over West Ham whereas Bournemouth got back in the top division in some style claiming a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa.
MCI vs BOU Match Details
Date: Saturday, 12th August 2022
Time: 15:00 (BST)/ 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
MCI vs BOU Match Preview
This was possibly the best way Erling Haaland could have made his Premier debut in scoring a remarkable brace to guide City to a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham in the season opener. The Hammers in accordance with their style of play sat deep allowing Manchester City the freedom to have all of the possession in the game but got pegged in their own box in the process. City didn’t let the home side have much of a say in the end. Then there was the Norweigian who added the cherry on top of the cake. His first official goal for the club came from the penalty spot which the 22-year-old created for himself making one of his trademark runs beyond defences. The next one came in a similar fashion, this time from open play, slotting the ball past onrushing Alphonso Areola with a splendid left-footed finish from a perfectly weighted ball from Kevin De Bruyne. This is a partnership that will surely strike fear in the rest of the 37 teams. In between, Manchester City did enjoy having the ball most of the time but failed to create a major opening aside from the two goals Haaland scored and when the game opened up in the later stages of the match. Two goals scored from eight shots on target with 14 shots in total for a club like Manchester City make look less but manager Pep Guardiola will be happy that his new striker has been clinical with the chances taken. The Spaniard now hopes Haaland brings his goal tally to the Premier League this time helping him adapt quickly. The first game of a new season cannot be an analogy of a team’s performance for the rest of the campaign but the win shows City will hunt for the third straight Premier League title record now a deadly weapon at their disposal which will get them over the line even not in their usual best. The fact that City have lost only once in their last 22 opening home games of a new campaign and won each of their last four at Etihad will cause a headache for Bournemouth. Wins in the last five home games in this fixture and scoring two or more goals in each is indicating a City victory all day.
Scott Parker will be happy for his team’s showing on the opening day of the season causing kind of an upset to big-spending Aston Villa in a 2-0 victory in the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth got their two goals from set-plays, Jefferson Lerma finding the back of the net from a corner and Kieffer Moore sealing the win in the second half. Despite the win, the manager demands more signings at the club after the arrival of Joe Rothwell from Blackburn, Marcus Tavernier from Middlesbrough, Ryan Fredericks from West Ham on a free transfer, Neto from Barcelona and talented centre-back Marco Sensei from Feyenoord only days ago. It is impressive to know only Tavernier played in the season opener and left the pitch being on the winning side against a Villa team that secured some top prospects in the window like Diego Carlos and Boubacar Camara. It shows Parker’s intent of building something with this team by adding more quality to the squad similarly Fulham and Nottingham Forest are doing as they are all prime candidates to go down back to the Championship this season. The win in the first game is a positive start to give optimism but most importantly momentum to prepare for the challenges ahead. It doesn’t get bigger with a trip to the home of the league winners which has not been a pleasant venue of late for the Cherries. Manchester City also have a perfect record in the last 10 Premier League clashes against the opposition this weekend which is the best they hold against any team in the Premier League. They also haven’t lost against Bournemouth only dropping points twice. Scott Parker, himself, has suffered defeats in four successive games against the sky blues while in charge of Fulham. The only hope could be Bournemouth’s decent away run in the second division last season although the Premier League is a whole different prospect. Their new signings will be pivotal to breaking their awful streak in this meeting.
MCI vs BOU Team News
Manchester City are without the service of Aymeric Laporte who won’t be returning until next month following an MCL injury. In his place, Nathan Ake started against West Ham but Guardiola could give the nod to John Stones this time also missing the season opener through match fitness concerns. Bernardo Silva was left out from the starting lineup with the situation still unclear about his future and the midfielder has kept his door open to an exit as known by his recent interview. Therefore, the Portuguese will make his place on the bench again.
Bournemouth have no fresh injury concern leading up to Etihad only Joe Rothwell and Ryan Fredericks continue to be on the sidelines due to thigh and calf injury respectively. The Cherries will be jubilant to unveil their star defender signing at the back, Marcos Senesi which will allow Jefferson Lerma to move back to midfield after playing in the back four in the win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend.
MCI vs BOU Predicted Lineups
MCI: Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Joao Cancelo; Ikay Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne; Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden
BOU: Mark Travers; Chris Mepham, Marcos Senesi, Llyod Kelly; Jordan Zemura, Jefferson Lerma, Philip Billing, Marcus Tavernier, Dominick Solanke; Keiffar Moore
MCI vs BOU Head to Head
Departed star David Silva and Gabriel Jesus were on target in the 2-1 win over Bournemouth in the last meeting in the Premier League in July 2020, also played in Etihad Stadium, with David Brooks scoring a late consolation for the Cherries. The only time Bournemouth played a draw in this fixture was the first-ever meeting in the Premier League back in 1999 which finished scoreless.
MCI vs BOU Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Ederson
DEF: Cancelo, Dias, Senesi, Kelly
MID: De Bruyne, Lerma, Billing, Tavanier, Gundogan
FW: Haaland, Moore
Captain: Erling Haaland (59.27%)
Vice-captain: De Bruyne (47.05%)
