Bournemouth

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  1. Bournemouth 2-1 Man City - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:27 4 November 2024

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    Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City sits on the bench during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City FC at Vitality StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Manchester City.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Bournemouth fans:

    Rob: A monkey off our back with the City win! Can you really now say, "it was an off day for City" and also, "an off day" in the Arsenal game? And... were Villa also having an "off day"? I think Bournemouth deserve more credit. Up the Cherries.

    Steve: A tremendous performance from the Cherries. Iraola’s tactics were played out to perfection and rather than go for the low block many teams use against City, Cherries played their natural attacking game and took it to the champions from the first minute. Still buzzing 24 hours later. Europa Conference spot could be in reach.

    Derek: Another great performance, seven points from three top teams. As seems to be often the case the result is portrayed as being due to top team being off par rather than Bournemouth playing well and taking the game to the opposition. Iraola has instilled a belief and collective teamwork that does not give up and works from start to finish. Joy to watch.

    Peter: A historic win. I think we knew as fans that we can beat anyone at home. We have to keep hold of Semenyo and Kerkez. Evanilson is fitting in well. I hope the last three games give the team the belief that they can challenge in the top half of the table. Iraola is a magician!

    Man City fans:

    Suraj: Very disappointing, don’t understand why the performance was so flat. I know we’ve got injuries, but we still had a strong side. Not sure why more were not used, maybe Pep’s worried about more injuries. Liverpool I think are the ones to look out for as unlike us they came back from behind. I'm just not feeling confident for this season.

    Abdullah: City were off it today. Until Jeremy Doku came on we were actually horrendous and were shown how to play. Doku and Gvardiol our only positive players. Semenyo and Kerkez were outstanding and fair play to Evanilson, who converted his sole chance (something we couldn't do). You can't control injuries but we will bounce back soon, we always do.

    Steve: A lacklustre performance from us, proven by the fact it was the 80th minute for our first shot on goal to arrive. After four consecutive titles, I am not convinced we have the same hunger we had in previous seasons. One positive out of the game was another excellent performance by Nunes. Congrats to Bournemouth, who thoroughly deserved the win.

    Roger: City have been fragile defensively all season and combined with an aging midfield and several players all striving to find their best form this defeat was long overdue. Pep will no doubt turn it round but possibly might need to use some fringe players to achieve it.

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  2. 'Bournemouth are a joy on the eye'published at 10:57 4 November 2024

    Chris Wise
    Final Score reporter

    Andoni Iraola with Mark Travers, Lewis Cook and Antoine Semenyo of BournemouthImage source, Getty Images

    I have seen Antoine Semenyo produce some very good performances for Bournemouth this year, but his display against Manchester City at the weekend was of the highest class.

    His development as a player since his move to Bournemouth in January 2023 has been astonishing, and he now excels playing in one of the wide roles in the three behind the striker.

    What is also hugely encouraging for Bournemouth is his blossoming relationship with left-back Milos Kerkez.

    The Hungarian is another hugely progressive talent and the pair of them caused City untold problems

    They are now a really exciting combination to watch, and in a team that are a joy on the eye at the moment.

  3. 'Bournemouth are one team I love watching'published at 08:12 4 November 2024

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    Former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, speaking to the BBC's Football Daily podcast about Bournemouth's win over Manchester City on Saturday: "Bournemouth are one team I love watching. Iraola has been a fantastic manager for them.

    "When he first came, there were questions about whether Bournemouth had made the right decision. But he was given time and the players have bought into him extremely well.

    "They are a well-coached, well-organised team and on their day they can beat anyone."

    Listen to more analysis of the weekend's action on BBC Sounds

  4. Bournemouth 2-1 Man City: Historic win for hostspublished at 18:32 2 November 2024

    Bobbie Jackson
    BBC Sport Journalist

    Antoine Semenyo celebrates scoring a goalImage source, Getty Images

    At the 22nd attempt Bournemouth managed to claim a victory against Manchester City.

    In the previous 21 encounters across all competitions, Bournemouth lost 19 and drew just two - those draws came back in 1989 and 1999.

    After beating Arsenal and drawing against Aston Villa, Bournemouth were bursting with confidence for the visit of the Premier League champions and they set the tone from the first whistle.

    Ederson made a fine double save with just two minutes on the clock but was powerless as Antoine Semenyo nestled an effort into the corner in the ninth minute.

    Manchester City's response did not come in the first half, which ended with Bournemouth fans chanting "ole" as their side completed each pass.

    Evanilson was denied by Ederson just a minute into the second half but Bournemouth's record signing made up for it just after the hour mark to earn the Cherries a deserved two-goal advantage.

    City's first shot on target arrived in the 80th minute, although Erling Haaland's volley was tame and easily saved.

    The visitors never really looked like scoring until they did via the head of Josko Gvardiol two minutes later to spark a nervy finish.

    Bournemouth opted to sit deep and were almost made to regret that decision when Haaland had a shot saved on the line by Mark Travers before his follow up struck the post.

    The Cherries managed to hold out for all three points and a historic win to climb up to eighth in the table.

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  5. Bournemouth 2-1 Man City: Key statpublished at 17:51 2 November 2024

    Manchester City's Swiss defender #25 Manuel Akanji reacts after Bournemouth's Brazilian striker #09 Evanilson (not pictured) scores the team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality StadiumImage source, Getty Images
    • Bournemouth's victory today means that Manchester City’s 32-game Premier League unbeaten run has come to an end, while they have lost successive matches in all competitions for the first time since September 2023.

  6. 'I'm very pleased'published at 17:42 2 November 2024

    Head Coach Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth after his sides 2-1 win during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City FC at Vitality StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, speaking to Sky Sports about whether the feeling to beating Man City is similar to when he led Rayo Vallecano to victory against Real Madrid: "It's kind of similar. When you beat Real Madrid, it's kind of similar. You know you have to be at your best level and wait for them to not have their best day.

    "We had to feel the pressure and it was tight at the end.

    "I'm very pleased, one thing is to beat City but another is to play better. We played with no fear, tried to press when we could and defend when we had to.

    "It was dangerous in the last 10 minutes. You don't enjoy that at all. There was so much pressure."

    On Milos Kerkez: "He has to continue, he's so young. He has to get experience to get more mature defensively. He gives a lot of offensive volume, today he got two assists."

    On Evanilson: "It's a good signing. Everyone is happy when he scores. I think his performances have been very good. He did well against Arsenal and we want to see more things."

  7. 'Everyone is buzzing'published at 17:08 2 November 2024

    Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City FC at Vitality Stadium Image source, Getty Images

    Antoine Semenyo has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after today's win: "It feels amazing. The best team in the world. We made it tough for them and everyone is buzzing with the result. A win is a win. It doesn't matter if it is one goal or three, we deserved it."

    On Milos Kerkez: "He contribution was so good. It was tough for all of us but he made some important blocks to keep us in the game."

    On Evanilson: "We see the potential in training. We know it takes time to settle into a new league but he has done well and the goals are coming now."

    On what Bournemouth can achieve: "We have belief. We train hard every day and take it onto the pitch. Everyone is going to write us off but we know what we can do."

  8. Sutton's predictions: Bournemouth v Man Citypublished at 11:10 2 November 2024

    Chris Sutton and The Piano TV series winner Brad Kella

    Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

    For week 10, he takes on The Piano TV series winner Brad Kella.

    Sutton's prediction: 1-2

    This is another hard one to call. Manchester City's performances just haven't been there of late, but they are still finding a way to beat teams every week and I'm not sure what's going to be different this time.

    I don't think this is going to be easy for City, who are missing a few players though injury, but you have to remember how good they are at getting over the line in games like this.

    So, although I'm backing Bournemouth to score, I still expect City to edge this one.

    Southampton, Wolves and Fulham have all run the champions close recently, and all of them still lost. It could be the same story for the Cherries too.

    They are likely to be a lot more ambitious than Saints were at Etihad Stadium and that could suit City.

    Bournemouth are a team who get plenty of shots off and we saw what they did to Arsenal a couple of weeks ago, but that will leave more space for Pep Guardiola's side.

    Brad's prediction: 2-1

    I want a Bournemouth win and I think they can get one. Rodri has been a massive loss for Manchester City since he got injured and they have got a few other players out too.

    Read the full predictions and have your say

  9. Follow Saturday's Premier League games livepublished at 11:04 2 November 2024

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    Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

    Kick-off 15:00 GMT unless stated

    Follow all of the action and reaction

  10. Iraola on injuries, confidence and Man Citypublished at 14:15 1 November 2024

    Tasnim Chowdhury
    BBC Sport journalist

    Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester City (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • Alex Scott remains out with a long-term injury, while Kepa Arrizabalaga and Luis Sinisterra are not available for Saturday's match. Philip Billing is "training normally" after a spell of illness but Dango Ouattara may not be available.

    • Tyler Adams is "training really well" after playing 20 minutes against Aston Villa last time out and is "in a good spot".

    • On his side's confidence, Iraola said: "I don't think it's about confidence, I think it's about preparing as well as we can for the game. It's really going to be a difficult one, considering the position but trying to give us chances. I think the game we played here last season, it can be a good reference for us. They beat us 1-0 but I think we played quite well and we have to be very similar or even better to have any chance against them."

    • On goalkeeper Mark Travers: "It's not a surprise for us, we know that level Mark has. I think this season the position has been quite solid, this is what they [the goalkeepers] have to do. It's not a matter of 'I play, you play'. All the goalkeepers are giving us a very good level, I hope we can continue with this in the same level."

    • On the Cherries' record against City: "It's 14 games, 14 losses. There is a reason and also this year they are unbeaten in the Premier League, top of the table. It's not just difficult for Bournemouth, it's difficult for everyone. But we have to play against them twice a season so we have to maximise our options, give our best and see if it's enough."

    • On Pep Guardiola's side: "They control the game and they choose sometimes when to push harder and when to control the game more, when to rest on the ball sometimes. If they feel the need, they normally have one more gear over the opposition and they have done it so consistently for so much time, it's because they are very good and they know what they are doing."

    Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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  11. Did you know?published at 16:32 31 October 2024

    Jeremy Doku of Manchester City and Adam Smith of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at Vitality StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    Only Manchester City (179) and Tottenham (156) have had more shots than Bournemouth in the Premier League this season (140), with the Cherries’ average of 15.6 shots-per-game their highest in a single top-flight campaign.

    But the weekend fixture may be tough for the shot-happy Cherries. Bournemouth have won none of their 20 league games against City (D2 L18). It’s the most one side has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.

  12. Can Cherries 'rid themselves of the Man City monkey on their back'?published at 12:04 31 October 2024

    Mark Mitchener
    BBC Sport senior journalist

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    Andoni Iraola and Pep Guardiola walk out of a tunnel before a Premier League gameImage source, Getty Images

    Buoyed by their last two results against Arsenal and Aston Villa, Bournemouth face their last unconquered Premier League opponent on Saturday - Manchester City.

    While most Cherries fans would have bitten your hand off if you had offered them four points from Arsenal and Villa, City - historically at least - have been an entirely different prospect.

    For, not only have Bournemouth failed to take a single point from 14 Premier League meetings with Pep Guardiola's sky blue giants (the best 100% record by one team against another in top-flight history), going back even earlier to six encounters in the Football League in the 1980s and 1990s, the Cherries have a further two draws, four defeats and no victories to their name.

    That is comfortably an English professional football league record (20 meetings with one team not having recorded a single win), and one that will only keep stretching until Andoni Iraola's side upset the applecart.

    Last season's game at Vitality Stadium was a gritty 1-0 win for City, who were content to clear their lines and run the clock down towards the end, rather than seek a second goal.

    But, given Guardiola’s claims that he only has 13 fit players, and Iraola's men having spiked the Gunners' guns a fortnight ago, has there ever been a better chance to rid themselves of the City monkey on their back?

    The vagaries of broadcasters' schedules also mean that implausibly, a game played on 2 November will be Bournemouth's first home Saturday 15:00 kick-off this season.

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  13. 'Under Iraola, supporting Bournemouth is also an education'published at 11:56 29 October 2024

    Sam Davis
    Fan writer

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    Andoni Iraola, manager of AFC Bournemouth, reacts during the Premier League match against Aston Villa FC at Villa ParkImage source, Getty Images

    This season, seven of Bournemouth's 11 Premier League goals have been scored on or after 70 minutes, with eight of them being scored or assisted by substitutes, underlining the importance of every player in the squad - not just the starting XI.

    Indeed, Andoni Iraola has previously suggested that he will not always start his "best" side against certain teams, so whilst a cursory glance at the teamsheet at 13:45 on Saturday caused more conjecture and conversation amongst supporters, Cherries fans once again learned that there is method to the "madness".

    The regularity of these "mini masterstrokes" is now so metronomic that it has come to a point where we are actually questioning our own view of the beautiful game, because we often find ourselves looking back in hindsight realising that some of the decisions that were deployed actually do make sense after all. It is not just a fluke.

    At Aston Villa on Saturday, Iraola even played Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo on their "wrong" sides, but in a game where we would have needed to condense play and crowd the middle of the pitch, choosing wingers that naturally need to "cut in" actually made perfect sense when having to combat midfield maestros like McGinn, Onana and Tielemans.

    Yes, Bournemouth rode their luck at times, plus we had the superb Mark Travers to thank, but the fact it took Villa so long to strike underlines that Iraola knows what he is doing with his selections.

    And what changes did he make when we were compromised? He brought on the ever-effective Marcus Tavernier and the £40m man Evanilson, both of whom combined to see that we came away with a point.

    Supporting Bournemouth is always exciting but, under Iraola, it is also an education.

    Find more from Sam Davis at Back of the Net, external

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  14. Aston Villa 1-1 Bournemouth - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:50 28 October 2024

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    Julian Araujo of AFC Bournemouth battles for possession with Ezri Konsa of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and AFC Bournemouth at Villa ParkImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Aston Villa and Bournemouth.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Villa fans

    Cassie: Bad defending cost Villa three points yet again. The game was there for the taking and fair play to Bournemouth for not giving up, which is what Villa did. Our midfield was outstanding but we still need to buy a proven striker, as Watkins is still not 100%. We need other results to go our way, as again this was a Champions League hangover.

    Blakey: This is the toughness of the Premier League. One moment of switching off, one bad challenge, one bad decision etc and you are not getting the points you perhaps, on balance, deserved. Let's face it, even the most optimistic Villa fan will be slightly nervous about our inability to seal the deal here. Is it the beginning of a wobble? Maybe.

    Jamie: Too many substitutes for my liking. When Ollie Watkins went off, we lost all of our shape and then struggled with possession in the last 15 minutes. But let's give some respect to Bournemouth - they never gave up. So, for once, I would say that Unai is responsible for making too many changes, which just makes him human!

    Greg: We have to strengthen our right-back options. We were lucky not to give away a penalty and creatively everything comes from our left-hand side.

    Bournemouth fans

    Thomas: Yet another solid performance from the Cherries. I can imagine that if I were a Villa fan, I would feel a bit unfortunate - no thanks to that wonderful performance from Mark Travers. Having said that, I can't get my head around how that Leon Bailey handball wasn't given as a penalty. Four points from Arsenal and Villa - not bad for little old Bournemouth.

    James: I think that was the most mature Cherries performance I have ever seen. If we play like that for the rest of the season, anything is possible!

    Mel: AFC Bournemouth were fantastic today. They never gave up and kept pushing forward, even when going behind. So pleased for Evanilson with that goal. It was stunning, just like his first goal for us. Hopefully he will score many more goals this season. He is an exciting addition to Bournemouth after the departure of Solanke.

    Mark: Wow, we are certainly raising eyebrows! Four points from Arsenal and now Villa - under Andoni Iraola we are rocketing up the league. I think we can seriously dream of European football in the next season or two, especially with commitment our team has right to the final whistle. Now let's beat Man City next week - no joke!

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