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Bournemouth are aiming to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in club history when they face Man City on Sunday evening.
‘You can chuck all your medals and all your caps and all your pots and all your pans into the biggest f*cking dustbin you can find. Because you’ve never won any of them fairly. You’ve done it all by cheating.’
Or words to that effect, right? Well, City won’t have any trophies to throw in the bin this season unless they can find a way past the plucky Cherries on Sunday.
Despite having fewer seats than Sheikh Mansour has Mercedes-Benz and Range Rovers on his drive, the Vitality Stadium is not an easy place to play.
It was rocking November when Andoni Iraola’s side hassled and harried and pressed City into mistakes, beating them 2-1 in a Premier League fixture.
On the other hand, you could argue that we’ve seen the best of Bournemouth on their travels.
Both sides are short of bodies at the back, which could contribute to an open and entertaining affair full of goals.
Bournemouth’s tendency to turn up against top-level opposition also leads us to believe they could give City the run away, particularly as Guardiola’s current rebuild is looking more and more like a long-term project.
Bournemouth vs Man City prediction:
The international break came at a good time for Bournemouth, as Iraola’s side was winless in five and contending with a string of injuries.
They were able to hold their nerve against Wolves in the FA Cup, progressing via a nerve-jangling penalty shootout, yet they struggled to stem the flow of goals against them in the Premier League as their own production dried up.
The results fail to reflect just how good Bournemouth were against Tottenham and Brentford, dominating both in spells and failing to take their chances.
They have this habit of upping their levels against teams like City, who we know will give them ample opportunity to be aggressive high up the pitch and force turnovers.
Both teams like the play the game the right way and we suspect it’ll lead to plenty of goal-mouth action, but we’re going to side with the hosts to get the better of it.
Bournemouth team news
Bournemouth’s injury crisis is easing with Adam Smith, Marcos Senesi and Julian Araujo back on the training pitch, although they aren’t capable of playing extended minutes at this stage in their recovery.
A bigger issue is the suspension of centre-back Dean Huijsen and left-back Milos Kerkez. Our best guess is James Hill will deputise in the middle, with January signing Julio Soler making his first start on the left.
Tyler Adams played 163 across five days for the United States as they embarrassed themselves in the CONCACAF Nations League during the international break, so he may be rested.
Alex Scott is an option to partner Ryan Christie in the midfield, who featured for Scotland during the week and returned unscathed.
Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson are backed to retain their spots in forward areas.
Bournemouth expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Kepa – Cook, Hill, Zabarnyi, Soler – Christie, Scott – Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo – Evanilson
Man City team news
Pep Guardiola confirmed that Ederson and Joskvo Gvardiol are progressing as hoped at the pre-match conference, so both are in contention, but Stefan Ortega is likely to start.
The front six could be unchanged from the team that drew 2-2 with Brighton, with Nico Gonzales and Ilkay Gundogan in midfield.
Phil Foden played in both of England’s World Cup qualifiers during the break and recorded one assist. Guardiola may opt to rest him on Sunday.
That could mean Savinho, Omar Marmoush, Jeremy Doku, and Erling Haaland form a deadly front four.
Rodri, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones remain out, while Oscar Bobb and Bernardo Silva are also doubtful.
Man City expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Ortega – Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol – Gonzalez, Gundogan – Savio, Marmoush, Doku – Haaland
Bournemouth vs Man City: How to watch and listen
Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final between AFC Bournemouth and Man City will be broadcast live on ITV1, STV and the ITV Player. There’s also live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports.
Bournemouth vs Man City stats:
– Bournemouth ran out 2-1 winners when the sides met in the Premier League.
– Before that, the Cherries were winless in 21 meetings, losing 19 and drawing two.
Bournemouth have never reached an FA Cup semi-final.
– Man City’s mammoth trophy haul includes seven FA Cups.
– Man City have won seven of eight Premier League visits to the Vitality Stadium.
– Man City have progressed beyond the quarter-final stage in seven of eight seasons.
Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth) quotes
On Bournemouth potentially reaching semi-finals for the first time:
“I think we have a big opportunity this weekend, anyone who steps on the pitch has to be ready to give everything, and even that might not be enough to beat City. The work for everyone is huge, but the chance to play at Wembley – for City it is less important as they play there a lot, but for us it is huge.”
On possibly beating Man City again:
“The draw we cannot change, once it is finished it is what we have. We are in a different moment, we hope we are close to the level we give that day [in November], it is the only way we have a chance.”
On Tottenham job rumours:
“I want to do my job the best I can, I don’t know where we will finish. If I don’t do it well, they will find someone else. I am happy here. We have a great opportunity to reach the semi finals for the first time, it would be amazing for me personally and for the club. We will try to give the best level we have.”
Pep Guardiola (Man City) quotes
On team improvements since last defeat to Bournemouth:
“I will have a squad deeper. The game before we lost in the Carabao Cup against Spurs in London. We were good there. I could not turn around the symptoms that the game started, in terms of being present and winning duals.
“We’ve tried for many months. It can take more time and this time it took more time.”
On being last ‘big six’ club in competition:
“We see every week in the Premier League and can prove it again in the FA Cup. I remember at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, in England the biggest thing is every team can beat every team.
“I’ve seen teams like Liverpool who have done amazing in the Premier League but the rest of the teams, everything can happen.
“We take the FA Cup seriously like the Carabao Cup in the past when we won it four times in a row.”
On City’s goal for season:
“Reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the seventh year in a row. After that, win games to qualify for the Champions League next season.”
Bournemouth vs Man City referee stats:
Stuart Attwell is the man in the middle on Sunday, taking charge of an all Premier League clash for the 17th time this season.
As well as being at the whistle for 15 top-flight clashes, he also took charge of Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
We’re not sure if he’s a soft touch or just very good at his job, but an average of 3.80 yellow cards per 90 minutes is a low one this season.
Even then, that number has been inflated by Sunderland kicking chunks out of Leeds in a match that featured nine yellow cards.
He’s also been hesitant to award penalties, pointing to the spot just twice in 20 contests. He did, however, give Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Southampton’s Jack Stephens their marching orders earlier in the season.
