Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell, Rodri’s comeback, and two red cards highlighted a significant night as Manchester City faced Bournemouth at the Etihad on Tuesday.
The Champions League race has been the saving grace of an otherwise drama-free Premier League season, and Tuesday’s match between Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth and Pep Guardiola’s men carried significant importance in that context.
It was hard to focus entirely on that, though, with De Bruyne playing what might be his final match at the Etihad for Manchester City. It might not be his last – with several Premier League clubs linked to him. Liverpool or Aston Villa? Cool, whatever. We’re simply not ready to say goodbye just yet.
Still, it’s the end of an era. The end of an era of tormenting rival clubs. Some neutrals will feel sadness, but plenty more will be absolutely delighted – particularly Arsenal and Newcastle fans.
Debates about being the greatest Premier League midfielder ever (he is) or City’s best player of all time (also yes) are for another day. What’s not up for debate is that City will be worse off without him. He wanted to stay, but the club’s hierarchy — understandably — weren’t keen to commit to a massive salary for an increasingly fragile body. You can see and appreciate both sides.
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Still, if there was one thing to lift the gloom, it was the return of the best player in the league. Rodri’s first Premier League appearance since September came at the perfect time. Yep, that guy is f***ing back — and City fans suddenly feel everything might be okay again.
It happened on a succulent night of Barclays. FA Cup winners Crystal Palace beat Wolves 4-2 in a cracker at Selhurst Park, and City climbed to third — now in the driving seat to stay there and seal Champions League qualification.
As we keep saying, this top-five scrap has given the season life. It hasn’t been dull, exactly, but it has been uncompetitive at the top. Not quite what you expect from The Best League In The World™.
City going from serial champions to scrapping for a top-five finish is a nice plot twist, and them missing out entirely would’ve been a crowd-pleasing finale — for everyone but City fans. But after Tuesday night, that’s a big — albeit not impossible — ask.
The 3-1 win over Bournemouth not only pushed City up to third but also killed off the Cherries’ faint hopes of a Conference League adventure. City now know it’s in their hands. For them to miss out, Newcastle have to beat Everton, Aston Villa must win at Manchester United, Nottingham Forest need to beat Chelsea, on top of Fulham winning. Possible? Sure. Likely? Absolutely not. There’s no level of speaking that into existence that’ll make it real.
Bournemouth looked like a potential banana skin, but City have quietly gone full late-season mode in the league. Since April began: draws at Old Trafford and Southampton aside, they’ve rattled off wins against Palace, Villa (crucially), Wolves and now Bournemouth. Five wins from six is textbook Guardiola. The difference this time? They’re upsetting teams far less formidable than Liverpool or Arsenal.
But the banana skin never even got peeled. Bournemouth simply didn’t bring one. On a night where we were glued to De Bruyne Watch, it was Omar Marmoush who stole the headlines with possibly the Goal of the Season. A thunderous hit that kissed the post. One of those rare strikes you just don’t see anymore — because of woke. He absolutely tw*tted it. A hit as pure as they come, symbolic of the impact the Egyptian has made in the second half of the season. Without him, City might genuinely be looking at a year of Conference League Thursdays against Shamrock Rovers and the Noahs of this world.
As for KDB’s actual contribution, yes, there were a few decent lovely passes and the usual vision, but what everyone will remember is that miss. An open goal. Kepa already resigned to 2-0. De Bruyne delivered the miss of the season to go with the goal of the season — all in one half.
Bernardo Silva’s tidy finish did make it 2-0 and that felt like game over. Bournemouth certainly played like it was — serving up a real on-the-beach attempt at a comeback, despite technically having something to play for.
With Antoine Semenyo offering little and Bournemouth’s brightest looking like they’d rather be literally anywhere else, we got a little injection of drama as Mateo Kovacic was sent off for dragging back Evanilson after a woeful Josko Gvardiol pass. It was briefly 10 vs 11 and we pretended something might happen. It didn’t.
It’s the hope that kills you. Six minutes later, parity was restored — in terms of red cards at least. Lewis Cook went in with a leg-breaker on Nico Gonzalez — De Bruyne’s replacement — and was rightly shown red.
Indeed, De Bruyne was the man sacrificed for Nico. Not Rodri. But the Ballon d’Or winner did finally return to Premier League action with seven minutes to go, and got an even louder ovation than KDB. Which is saying something.
Nico went on to seal it, adding a tidy third to put the icing on the cake. Daniel Jebbison’s consolation — gifted by a Ruben Dias error — soiled Ederson’s clean sheet, but the points were all that mattered. Try telling Ederson that, mind.
The red card and that Dias wobble might’ve cost City on another day. But Bournemouth didn’t turn up. De Bruyne did — for the last time for City at the Etihad — and Rodri did too, for the first time in eight months.
Up to third they go with three delicious, well-earned points. It’s been a largely disastrous title defence, but they’ll at least salvage pride — and secure a seat at Europe’s top table next season.
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