Manchester City vs Bournemouth Preview: Team News, H2H, early injury news, probable lineups, tickets and more

Sunday's final kickoff sees a stunned Manchester City take on second-placed Bournemouth in an exciting Premier League clash.

Pep Guardiola's team have never been known as one-man shows. But in 2025, we are seeing things that barely make sense. Manchester City became over-reliant on Erling Haaland this campaign. With the Norwegian hitman in red-hot form, it seemed like a good thing. But when the striker had an off day, all the flaws in the system were exposed. Matty Cash's fantastic goal was enough for Aston Villa to beat the toothless Cityzens. They desperately need other stars to step up as they risk being left behind in the early title race. They host a Bournemouth side which has all the tools to hurt City even more on the weekend. The Cityzens trailed against Swansea midweek before putting on a late show. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki struck for them to seal an impressive 3-1 victory and progression.

Andoni Iraola registered Bournemouth's best-ever start to a Premier League season after nine games. The Cherries amassed 18 points after making short work of Nottingham Forest. In stark contrast to Manchester City, they have match-winners all over the field. Despite losing his entire backline, the Spanish tactician has quietly rebuilt it with even greater purpose. Antoine Semenyo has been sublime for them as he chases Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. The likes of Marcus Tavernier, Eli Kroupi and Justin Kluivert have all stepped up. The Cherries have been unbeaten in the league since the opening day. They will be keen to extend their eight-match unbeaten run and chase Arsenal in top spot.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth last-minute tickets: How to buy

Etihad Stadium is the place to be on Manchester City matchdays. StubHub can help you find last-minute tickets, allowing you to experience all the action live at the stadium.

READ MORE: Manchester City 2025/26 tickets: Prices, premium packages & season ticket information

How to watch Manchester City vs Bournemouth online - TV channels & live streams

Fans in the UK can watch and live stream the game on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. For supporters in the US, USA Network and Telemundo will air the game. It can be livestreamed in the US and Canada on Fubo.

How to watch Manchester City vs Bournemouth worldwide

Here is how fans can watch the Manchester City vs Bournemouth clash worldwide.

Country/RegionBroadcasterCanadaFuboUKSky Sports, Discovery+AustraliaStan SportIndiaStar SportsMENAbeIN SportsSouth AmericaESPN / Disney+AfricaSuperSport

How to watch anywhere with a VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth Key Matchups

Erling Haaland vs Marcos Senesi: All good things come to an end, and so did Haaland’s impressive scoring run. He scored in 12 successive games for club and country before coming to a standstill. He had a fabulous chance against Villa but hit it straight at the keeper. He did put the ball in the back of the net once, but it was chalked off due to an offside. Guardiola hopes Haaland will be fine for the Bournemouth game following an injury scare. Senesi will be buoyed by his impressive showing, and Haaland drawing a blank in the league just before their clash as well. The Argentine defender leads the Cherries' defence and will be hoping for an error-free outing against the Norwegian robot.

Josko Gvardiol vs Eli Kroupi Jr: Evanilson's injury came as a blessing in disguise for Kroupi. The 18-year-old was getting minutes off the bench when the Brazilian striker was fully fit, but still managed to make an impact. Once he was installed in the lineup, he never looked back. Three goals in two starts showcased his full finishing range and the ability to take on imposing centre halves. He will be raring to complete his first 90 minutes in the league against Manchester City. Gvardiol, who is rotating between left-back and centre-back shifts, will be keen to stop the youngster in his stride.

Matheus Nunes vs Antoine Semenyo: Semenyo's ever-rising stock is at an all-time high this season. The star winger scored six times and assisted three times in the league. With his trickery and clinical nature in the final third, he rarely gives a moment's rest to his fullback. Nunes will be on his toes all game long as he faces the difficult task of keeping Semenyo quiet. The Portuguese is also expected to contribute to chance creation for his side. Guardiola might even opt for a more defensive option in John Stones against Semenyo on Sunday.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth Prediction

Manchester City still have two sides to their game this season. They can either play stylistic football or grind out results. Whatever their approach to this game is, expect the Cherries to match or even better them. From the same school of thought as Guardiola, Iraola has drilled incredible discipline and technicality into his side. They can go toe to toe with any team and not look out of place. Iraola had Guardiola's number once in the league last season. With form in his side's favour, he will be hoping to pick up a first-ever victory at Etihad Stadium in the club's history.

GOAL'S Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 Bournemouth

Manchester City vs Bournemouth kick-off time

Etihad Stadium will host the game at 16:30 GMT / 17:30 CET / 12:30 ET on Sunday, 2nd November.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth Team news & squads

Manchester City team news

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Rodri's return to training will be the biggest boost for City heading into the Bournemouth clash. But the Ballon d'Or winner is not expected to be rushed back. With Nico Gonzalez settling well, we can expect Rodri to be eased back into action. Defensively, Guardiola will face the question of taking the conservative route to curtail Bournemouth's attack. In the attack, Haaland will be the subject of late fitness reports following his collision with the post. Omar Marmoush and Jeremey Doku will take the wide roles as they march into the lineup.

Predicted Lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Marmoush, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland

Bournemouth team news

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Evanilson is on the comeback trail from his injury. With Kroupi's sensational form, Iraola has no worries up front. Bafode Diakite was surprisingly benched against Nottingham Forest for Veljko Milosavljevic, who impressed on his second start. With two quality centre-backs vying for one spot, Iraola has to make a tough call. Adam Smith may come back into the lineup for Alex Jimenez at right back as the rest of the lineup remains unchanged.

Predicted Lineup: Petrovic; Smith, Milosavljevic, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Kroupi

Form

Head-to-Head Record

The Last Meetings

It was an emotional outing for Manchester City as Etihad Stadium prepared to bid farewell to the outgoing icon, Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian legend announced he was leaving the club at the end of the season. The Cherries' visit coincided with his final home game. Marmoush opened the scoring with a stunner in the 14th minute before Bernardo Silva made it 2-0 before the break. De Bruyne inexplicably ballooned his effort from five yards out as he was replaced to a standing ovation in the 69th minute. Both sides were reduced to 10 men in the second half thanks to some rash challenges. Gonzalez made it 3-0 in the 89th minute as Rodri made an appearance after his ACL injury in the dying moments. Daniel Jebbison grabbed a consolation for the visitors as their plans of a first league double against City were foiled.

Standings

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