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THE Cherries were well beaten by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Omar Marmoush’s first half wonder goal the pick of the strikes as the hosts won 3-1.
City led 2-0 at the break after Marmoush’s sensational strike from 30 yards found the top corner, Bernardo Silva adding a second seven minutes before the break.
Both sides had a player sent off within six minutes, Mateo Kovacic first handed his marching orders for hauling down Evanilson, before Lewis Cook saw red for a challenge on Nico.
Nico added a third for the hosts in the final minute of the 90, before Daniel Jebbison scored a consolation for the Cherries as City comfortably collected the three points, meaning the Cherries can no longer qualify for Europe.
Andoni Iraola made two changes to his team which lost to Aston Villa, with Julian Araujo and Justin Kluivert coming in for Adam Smith, who dropped to the bench, and Alex Scott, who was ruled out after surgery on a fractured jaw.
Pep Guardiola made four changes from his beaten FA Cup final side, Ederson returning in goal, while Kevin de Bruyne captained the team for the final time at the Etihad Stadium in a City shirt.
The Belgian got the proceedings underway, the Cherries having the first sight of goal after three minutes.
Evanilson picked off a loose back pass and threaded Justin Kluivert through, but the Dutchman couldn’t apply the finish, Ederson catching his shot.
Kovacic fired wide from just outside the box, before Kepa made a good save to deny Matheus Nunes after he was slipped in one-on-one by de Bruyne.
The hosts opened the scoring after 14 minutes thanks to a Marmoush wonder strike, the Egyptian finding the top corner off the inside of the post from 30 yards.
Erling Haaland attempted an acrobatic finish after he was picked out by a clipped de Bruyne cross at the far post, but he couldn’t get good contact on it and Kepa caught.
De Bruyne should have scored after he was found free by a Marmoush pass across the box, but the Belgian couldn’t get his feet set and struck the crossbar from close range.
It was the Cherries turn to strike the woodwork after 32 minutes.
Bournemouth came forward at pace, Tavernier found with a ball over the top from Dean Huijsen and the Englishman crossed for Evanilson, the Brazilian at full stretch and hitting the post with his effort.
Tavernier had a shot bravely blocked by Ruben Dias as City gave the ball away cheaply at the back, before the hosts doubled their lead after 38 minutes.
The Cherries couldn’t clear their lines and Gundogan dragged Huijsen out wide, slipping the ball inside for Silva to finish at the near post past Kepa.
Kepa punched clear a de Bruyne free kick and then kept out a Gundogan volley, before the Cherries had a chance to get one back just before the break.
Kluivert had a shot blocked from an Araujo cross, the Cherries recycling and the Dutchman volleyed over, as Bournemouth trailed at the break.
David Brooks replaced Kluivert at the break, and it was the visitors who had the first opening of the half, Evanilson meeting a Kerkez cross but unable to get power or direction on his header, the ball going wide.
Nunes shot over the bar from distance, before Antoine Semenyo blasted a shot wide after a good spell of possession for the Cherries around the City box.
The hosts were reduced to ten men when Evanilson looked to latch onto a poor pass from Josko Gvardiol but he was hauled down by Kovacic, referee Thomas Bramall showing no hesitation in showing the red card with 23 minutes to play.
Smith replaced Araujo after the sending off, before the Cherries were also down to ten men, Cook given his marching orders after a rash challenge in the centre circle on Nico after 73 minutes.
Kerkez and Evanilson were replaced by Julio Soler and Daniel Jebbison with eight minutes to play, before Nico added the City third, doing well to cut inside Smith and curl the ball into the near top corner in the 89th minute.
Jebbison got a goal back for the Cherries deep in stoppage time, as he picked off a poor Nunes pass and finished past Ederson when one-on-one.
But that was the final act of the game as the Cherries were beaten, staying 11th ahead of the final round of Premier League games on Sunday.
Manchester City: 31, Ederson (booked, 67’); 24, J. Gvardiol; 25, M. Akanji; 3, Rúben Dias; 27, Matheus Nunes; 8, M. Kovačić (sent off, 67’); 19, İ. Gündoğan (J. Doku 90+2’); 7, Omar Marmoush (O. Bobb 90+1’); 17, K. De Bruyne (c)(Nico Gonzalez 69’); 20, Bernardo Silva (J. Grealish 90+2’); 9, E. Haaland (Rodri 83’).
AFC Bournemouth: 13, Kepa; 3, M. Kerkez (J. Soler 83’); 2, D. Huijsen (booked, 36’); 27, I. Zabarnyi; 22, J. Araujo (booked, 44’)(A. Smith 69’); 4, L. Cook (c)(sent off, 73’); 12, T. Adams; 24, A. Semenyo; 19, J. Kluivert (D. Brooks 46’); 16, M. Tavernier (booked, 88’); 9, Evanilson (D. Jebbison 83’).