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ANDONI Iraola said Manchester City were much the better side in the first half against the Cherries – and once his team gained more momentum they had too much to do.
Bournemouth trailed 2-0 at half time after a wonder goal from Omar Marmoush and a Bernardo Silva strike, and while they worked their way back into the game, they weren’t able to score to put pressure on their hosts.
Mateo Kovacic was sent off after 67 minutes giving the Cherries some more hope, but this was dashed as Lewis Cook was also handed his marching orders six minutes later.
Nico made it three for City, before Daniel Jebbison scored a stoppage time consolation for Iraola’s side.
Speaking to the Daily Echo after the game, Iraola said: “I think especially the beginning of the game, you could see straight away they started with a lot of intensity.
(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
“The goal they scored is one of the probably best goals of the season from Marmoush. And it has cost us some minutes to try to level the game, I think until the second half.
“Second half, I think we played better. We've had more of the ball, we have arrived in better situations, but we were already 2-0 down.
“I think there have been probably two key moments that you need in these stadiums against this opposition, in this kind of nights to go to your side, the post of Evanilson, to make it 1-1 and put them under pressure.
“And also the second red card because when we had a kind of a good situation again with time to play against 10 players, straight away we go 10 against 10 and then everything goes even again.”
On City’s first half performance, Iraola said: “I think they've been better than us in the first half because they also had a very clear chance.
“They had the crossbar, a very clear chance also now to make it 2-0.
“But it's true that sometimes even if they are being better, you score the 1-1 and everything changes, the momentum changes and these kinds of games, to win in this kind of stadiums, certain things have to go to your side and today they didn't.”
(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
He was optimistic that if the Cherries could get an early goal in the second half they could get a result, but they weren’t able to make the difference before the red cards.
On his team’s second half showing, Iraola said: “I think we've started really well the second half. We were having much better positions on the ball. And I was thinking, okay, we might have a chance today if we score.
“It's always difficult at Man City here, but I was feeling like we were in a good place.
“And after with 10 vs 10, we've continued, I think, playing well and pushing, but it hasn't been enough, definitely.”