David Silva once again provided a superb masterclass as he heads towards his Premier League swansong in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth, which edged the plucky Cherries closer to Premier League relegation.
Silva fired a sixth-minute free-kick in off the bar to leave Aaron Ramsdale with no chance of keeping out a superb opener, before feeding Gabriel Jesus, on his 100th Premier League appearance, to double City’s advantage with a lovely turn and finish shortly before half-time.
Bournemouth manager, Eddie Howe, said he was “devastated” after their battling defeat at Manchester City left them three points adrift of Premier League safety with two games remaining.
“It’s difficult at this stage to cling to positives because you need results and points over everything,” says Howe, who has been Cherries manager in each of the top four divisions.
After Bournemouth had seen a series of chances come and go, David Brooks’ late strike gave them the hope of an unlikely point at Etihad Stadium but they fell short of another comeback to boost their fading survival hopes.
Pep Guardiola made six changes from City’s 5-0 win over Brighton but insisted his decision to do so was not a nod to their upcoming FA Cup semi-final with Arsenal. However, the line-up he put out certainly did not get anywhere near the same standards.
It looked like it would be plain sailing against lowly Bournemouth as David Silva curled in an inch-perfect free-kick early on from 20 yards, rattling the crossbar on its way past Ramsdale’s helpless dive, but Bournemouth, who have finally come alive in recent games, quickly showed they are not down yet.
A number of second-half substitutions from Bournemouth’s manager, Eddie Howe, did well to freshen up his side, and in the last 10 minutes they stepped up the pressure again. First Callum Wilson scuffed an effort wide from Brooks’ square, but when the two swapped roles moments later there would be no mistake as the Wales midfielder stroked the ball into an empty net from his striker’s pass after both had beaten the offside trap.
Callum Wilson was again off-target as the clock ticked into added time but Bournemouth’s chances were still not over, with another Wilson effort falling for Lewis Cook, who should have shot but instead laid the ball off for Philip Billing, whose effort was blocked clear.
Those misses gave City their 24th win of the season and third in a row after a shock defeat at Southampton on July 5, while Bournemouth remains three points adrift from safety before the teams above them have played their game in hand, with time swiftly running out.
Stats and facts from the match
- This was Guardiola’s 150th Premier League match as manager. He has won 111 games – six more than any other manager in their first 150 in the competition.
- Manchester City have won their last six home Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 21-1.
- Meanwhile, Bournemouth have lost their last nine away Premier League matches, conceding 22 goals in the process.
- The Cherries were the first team to attempt more shots at goal (14-8) than Manchester City in a league match at the Etihad since Stoke City in April 2016.
- They were also the first side to do so against a team managed by Guardiola since Hoffenheim in March 2014.
- English managers have taken just four points in their last 30 away Premier League matches against Manchester City, with all four being won by Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace.
- David Silva has scored with each of his last two direct free-kick attempts in the Premier League, with those coming in his last three games. He had scored just one direct free-kick goal in his previous 305 appearances.
- Silva is the third oldest player in Premier League history to reach 10 assists in a single campaign (34 years 189 days), after Dennis Bergkamp and Paolo Di Canio.
Will be a pity if Bournemouth was relegated. Hope they can win their next two matches.