(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Bournemouth - Man City

A very warm welcome to Bournemouth, the vitality stadium. With Liverpool not in Premier League action this weekend, the Blues can move back to within a point of the current league leaders, with a win here at Bournemouth this evening. With City's visit to Anfield looming large on the horizon in early March, three points today will set them up nicely for that duel, and of course next weekend's Manchester derby. And with City having won the last 14 matches in a row against Bournemouth, confidence will certainly be high ahead of today's clash on the south coast. He's gone short, Bernardo Silva clips it on to Foden, Foden helps it on to Harlan, Harlan's through the middle! Harlan knew the shot, puts it wide, it was on his right foot, and he was some distance from goal. And he hit it, well, almost gently wide of the post, but all of a sudden Foden onto it, little dink into the path first time, Harlan through, but he got it all wrong. Yeah, well, it's actually this first touch which is poor. He's in trouble then, then it has to be a really good finish, but if he can get that first touch outside his left foot, across his body, then Sanchesi's going to have a big problem. Coming forward, Samedi on the edge of the City penalty area, on it goes to Kerkes, Kerkes might think about shooting, he does! And Ederson tips it over the bar. Well, he's a good player, Kerkes, I've seen him many times for the Hungarian national team, and he bombs forward from left-back, as he did there, and he hits across the ball, swung towards the net, and Ederson had to palm it over. Coming forward with Samedi inside the middle third, now getting towards the final third, and he plays it into the gap, and it was a good cut-out by Stones, because it was slipped through towards Kluivert, but it didn't reach it. Now City advance with Kovacic, Kovacic crosses the halfway line at pace, wide it goes to Matheus Nunes, Nunes getting towards the final third, just faced by two or three forward players, goes backwards and into the possession of Ake, and back it goes to Foden, Foden to Ake, and Ake to Foden. City in and around the final third, but not quite inside of it, Stones, Roderick. Kovacic, shot towards Haaland, Haaland tries to get beyond the last defender, and it's parried, and Foden, with the tap-in on the line, he went to Haaland, Haaland hit it towards the net, Neto parried it, and Foden followed in, helped it over the line, and City are in front. Well, it was a little scoop pass in to Haaland, Haaland just was too strong for the defender nearest to him, held off Sanessi, put the shot in, and Foden followed up to score. Brilliant little clip, gets a shot on target, which he expected, good save, and then Foden on the front foot. Foden has been exceptional in the win this first 20 minutes, and thoroughly deserves the goal. Foden, the City goal scorer, on it goes to Bernardo Silva on this near side, finds a bit of space with Stones, Stones out to Bernardo Silva, Bernardo Silva into the penalty area, on it goes to Stones, Stones round the outside, oh, it was clear, Rodri hits it but it was blocked, Bernardo Silva with the bending shot, goes wide of the post, and it stays at 1-0. Two or three excellent opportunities, City couldn't convert them. Brilliant, we talk about Jon Stones as one of the Sixers, who picks him up? I'm not sure when he makes that run, and the depth he comes from, whether anybody's accountable for sticking with that run, and he gets in so easy. Ball goes long from Neta, Hake underneath it, Semenya gets the better of it, Semenya in the right-wing position, comes inside, on to Solanke, on the edge of the area, Christie hits the shot, Ederson makes the save, Solanke must be offside, he is, the flag goes up, but right at the end of the half, Bournemouth with a chance, and a good save from Ederson. Yeah, it's a great save from Ederson, but Christie's good, he does great. Bournemouth are coming forward again, on it goes, it's a good ball to Kluivert, Kluivert in a shooting position, and Ederson makes the save, but he needed to make it, it bounced just in front of him, which is always that little bit more awkward for a goalkeeper, but again Bournemouth asking questions. Harland's coming forward, Harland darts into the area, well, he's just shrugged off a challenge, and then he wins a corner. The way he shrugged off Zabani was like he was taking a fly off his shoulder, and in the end he wins a corner. Semenya inside the City hub, goes at Ake, he keeps going at Ake, now he gets round the outside of Ake, he's down to the byline, he puts in a low ball, there's a chance at the far, it's headed away by Ruben Dias. We're just looking back at the replay of this chance for Tabanea, Semenya got the better of Ake, he lost his footing, fell to the floor, next thing you knew Semenya clipping it in, and on the far side was Tabanea, and Dias gets it away. Good spell of play from Bournemouth, really keeping City hemmed in here. Ball goes out wide to the left, left-hand side where it's clipped into the channel for Solanke, Solanke gets round Dias, Dias tries to hold him up, Solanke with a lay-off, Tabanea hits it wide. Really good play by Bournemouth. And it goes to Christie, bit of space now, Bournemouth coming forward in numbers, Smith wants it, it's maybe a little bit too wide for Semenya, and on to Smith, and a good tackle by Ake. At Bournemouth corner, home supporters genuinely believe their side can not only get an equaliser, but who knows what if they've got the momentum. These are important moments, not just in this game, but in the season as a whole. Tabanea will hit an in-swinging corner, he'll have whip and pace on it. Tabanea's in there, and so too is Semenya. All trying to jostle Ederson, it goes to the far right, it's headed and off the line by Ederson, and then Kerkes and City block it. There's no signal from the referee that the ball crossed, that was real danger. City getting it away, but it's not away very far. In the penalty area they come with Kluivert, and then smashed out of play for a throw. Almost an equaliser for Bournemouth, how close did this come from Solanke? Oh, right on the line, Ederson was behind the line, but the ball was nowhere near crossing it. A very important save to deny Solanke. Foden's darting forward, he's in the penalty area. Lays it off to the edge where Kovacic is waiting. Kovacic hits it wide, he says it's a corner, and the referee absolutely agrees with him. And now Kovacic's first ball. Kovacic into Haaland, Haaland with the lay-off, looks for the return, Haaland, great tackle, brilliant tackle, Kerkes, but still Haaland got a shot in, and Neto blocked it. Well, only the power of Haaland means he can get to that second ball. And now Ake's been penalised, Haaland suddenly got through after a brilliant tackle by Kerkes, it broke for him, and Neto blocked it. Yeah, good save from Neto, just stayed big and tall. Yeah, you expect him to save that, but good movement. Foden scampers forward, great tackle by Watara, Watara now's on to it, Foden's down in a heap, referee rightly waves play on, ball is down the left-hand side with Watara, Watara in the crossing position, Watara trying to get the crossing, he tries to get beyond the kanji, Watara on the edge of the area, still Watara, he's hit it wide! But he tip-toed his way through, that passed it wide of the post. Brilliant play, once he gets in around the box, but good strength, right foot, left foot, and the shot's wide open. Rodri, Rodri on now to Foden, Foden into the penalty area, Alvarez, Alvarez can't quite get to it and Bournemouth will clear it, and well, that's Solanke of all players, darting beyond Rodri, keeps on running Solanke, crosses the halfway line, Semenu over to the right-hand side, Smith comes with him, listen to the Bournemouth supporters, clipped in by Semenu, header is wide from Unal, Enes Unal cushioned the header, Ederson hurled himself at it, couldn't get to it, wide of the post... And it's a great opportunity on the back of us being in their box. Well, Andy Morrison, how big a win was that? It's a massive win, it's back-to-back clean sheets, and we spoke about that before the game, if you're only going to score one, make sure you get the clean sheet. So the Blues will move one point behind Liverpool, it has been the perfect way to end February with that victory in league terms. The Blues will go to the FA Cup tie at Luton Town, knowing that they're ready to pounce against Liverpool. It's Bournemouth 0-1 City at the Vitality Stadium.