Challenging the Big Six status quo in the Premier League, second-placed Bournemouth test their mettle against fifth-placed Manchester City in Sunday's fascinating top-flight contest at the Etihad.
Andoni Iraola's Cherriessunk Nottingham Forest 2-0 last weekend to move into the silver medal position, while the Citizens' fleeting title hopes were damaged yet again in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.
Match preview
When Erling Haaland fails to fire this season, Man City fail to fire. Last weekend, the Scandinavian sensation drew a blank for just the second time in the 2025-26 Premier League - after August's 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur - and the Sky Blues subsequently had no answer to Aston Villa's mastery.
Unai Emery got one over Pep Guardiola in the West Midlands thanks to a solitary Matty Cash strike, which condemned Man City to their third Premier League loss of the season already and left them six points behind Arsenal in the top-flight standings.
A six-point deficit with 29 games remaining is the furthest thing from insurmountable, but the Citizens' over-reliance on Haaland - who has scored 65% of their Premier League goals this season - could prove dangerous should the former Borussia Dortmund phenom suffer any kind of moderate or severe injury in the near future.
The Sky Blues did not need Haaland to get the better of Swansea City in the EFL Cup in midweek, but they were nevertheless handed a scare by their second-tier foes, having to come from behind to seal a 3-1 success and a place in the quarter-finals.
However, the hosts are on a four-game winning run at the Etihad in all tournaments - scoring 12 goals and conceding just one in the process - and the last time they lost as many as three of their first nine Premier League games of the season, they went on to win the 2013-14 title.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola on July 26, 2025
While the likes of City, Liverpool and Chelsea flounder, Bournemouth flourish, and the South Coast club can proudly claim to be Arsenal's closest challengers in the Premier League table after a record-breaking start to the 2025-26 campaign.
Eighteen points from nine games represents Bournemouth's highest-ever total at this point of a top-flight season - one more than the 17 they accrued under Eddie Howe at this stage in 2018-19 - and Iraola oversaw another momentous success on October 26.
Indeed, the Cherries registered their 100th Premier League victory at the expense of Nottingham Forest, thanks to a controversial Marcus Tavernier corner - which may have been wrongfully awarded - and a fourth goal of the top-flight season from Eli Junior Kroupi.
The slaying of Sean Dyche's men made it eight games unbeaten in the Premier League for Bournemouth - no other English top-flight team is on a better run - and their eight goals on the road is only fewer than Tottenham Hotspur's 12 and Chelsea's 11.
However, the Etihad is the unhappiest hunting ground for Bournemouth, who have been defeated in all eight of their Premier League trips to Man City's home ground, including a 3-1 beating towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Manchester City Premier League form:
W
D
W
W
W
L
Manchester City form (all competitions):
D
W
W
W
L
W
Bournemouth Premier League form:
W
D
D
W
D
W
Team News
Manchester City's Erling Haaland on September 21, 2025
Neither Haaland nor 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri were involved in City's win over Swansea - the former suffered a painful collision with the goal post at Villa Park - but the pair have been pictured in full training and are seemingly on course to be available here.
As a result, Guardiola may be blessed with a fully-fit squad for the visit of Bournemouth, against whom Haaland has some wrongs to right - he averages just one goal every 439 minutes against the Cherries in the Premier League, his second-worst ratio vs. a single opponent after Newcastle United (one every 447 minutes).
Rayan Cherki excelled in Phil Foden's place in midweek with a goal and assist, but the latter should now come straight back into the XI for his 200th Premier League appearance - no player younger than him has ever hit that landmark for Man City.
As for Bournemouth's availability, Iraola finally welcomed Enes Unal back to the matchday squad with open arms against Forest, as the Turkish striker made his first appearance nine months after suffering a devastating ACL rupture.
Unal's return means that his fellow forward Evanilson is the only concern for the visitors - the Brazilian is currently touch-and-go with a calf problem - but Kroupi has done more than enough to earn a start at the Etihad.
Still just 19 years old, Kroupi has found the back of the net in each of his last three Premier League games and could become just the fourth teenager to score in four in a row in the competition, after Robbie Fowler, Nicolas Anelka and Francis Jeffers.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez; Silva, Reijnders, Foden, Savinho; Haaland
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Jimenez, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Kroupi
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We say: Manchester City 3-2 Bournemouth
City are one of just three teams in the top flight to have scored more than Bournemouth, whose 11 goals conceded also makes them the worst defensive team in the top five, so an Etihad extravaganza ought to be on the cards.
The Cherries have tried and failed to lift the Etihad curse time and time again, though, and with City currently enjoying that winning feeling in front of their own, Guardiola's men have our vote to triumph and rise above their plucky visitors in the table.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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