EPL – What We Learned – AFC Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 4

EPL – What We Learned – AFC Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 4

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Manchester City got back to winning ways after a convincing win over Bournemouth at Dean Court on Saturday.

Fernando gave the Citizens an early lead with a neat finish that lobbed past Artur Boruc and put his side in control. City dominated further and got their reward when Sergio Aguero and David Silva combined perfectly to set up Kevin De Bruyne who finished emphatically with a volley. Aguero added another before half time and Aleksandar Kolarov scored in the final minutes of the game to complete the rout.

Tottenham’s draw at Liverpool meant that City closed the gap with Spurs to eight points. The Sky Blues are virtually out of the title race, although they extended their lead over fifth-placed West Ham United to three points.

Bournemouth have now lost their last two games on the bounce and currently lie in 13th position in the league.

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Injured players return for City

Manchester City have had their fair share of injury problems this season. While they still have a number of players on the sidelines, one player in particular made his return a little earlier than expected. De Bruyne came back into the starting XI after missing the last two months through injury. The Belgian played just 56 minutes, scoring a goal and getting some much needed minutes under his belt.

De Bruyne starred on return
De Bruyne starred on return

Another who returned after being injured for a lengthy period was Samir Nasri, who had not featured at all since City last played Bournemouth in October. The return of these players could not have come at a better time for City as they face a tough Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain in a few days’ time. The Sky Blues will need all of their quality and experience if they are to stand a chance against the French side.

City still have a number of key players missing through injury. Skipper Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and Joe Hart are still on the sidelines.

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Bournemouth struggle defensively again

Eddie Howe will be disappointed by the way his team defended against City. The Cherries have shown immense spirit this season and have impressed with their never-say-die attitude and their eagerness to move up the pitch. But Howe’s team has struggled on many occasions with its defending.

Bournemouth have kept just seven clean sheets this season and have conceded a whopping 54 goals already. Only the bottom four teams have conceded more than the Cherries. Howe has preferred to stick to a familiar back line throughout this season with the likes of Charlie Daniels, Adam Smith, Steve Cook and Simon Francis featuring regularly for the most part of the season.

While they have done well in an attacking sense, scoring eight goals and assisting eight between them, they have often struggled to cope defensively, making one too many mistakes. Daniels’ error in the lead up to De Bruyne’s goal was an example of  just that.

The Cherries might be safe from the drop this season but they cannot afford to concede so many goals and still expect to remain in the Premier League again.

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Tough month ahead for City

After clearing their first hurdle in April, City can expect a tough month ahead.  The Citizens will play six more games this month in two competitions. Next up they face a daunting trip to Paris to take on an in-form PSG before a couple of home games against West Brom and the return leg against the French team.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side then visits Chelsea who are unbeaten in the league since December, followed by a trip to Newcastle who are desperately battling relegation and can easily dent Pellegrini’s hopes of finishing in the top four. They end the month against Stoke City at the Etihad in what will prove to be a tricky fixture to say the least for the Sky Blues. A lot of football to look forward to for City fans, who will be hoping that their team will come out on the better side in these fixtures.

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