After a fantastic draw away in Lyon on Tuesday night, Manchester City are flying. They come into this one in fine form, knowing they should be in the perfect condition to defeat a Bournemouth side with a poor record against the big clubs.

For much of the early season, Eddie Howe and Bournemouth were spoken up to excess. Now, with three losses on the spin, the Cherries are in danger of being crushed. Can they do anything to stop City here? With a City side unbeaten and scoring goals for fun, this could be a major mood-changer for Bournemouth.

City News

The Citizens come into this one with a mostly full-strength side. Expect to see the disappointing Riyad Mahrez miss out, with Raheem Sterling likely put back into the front three. Fernandinho will play alongside David Silva again most likely, with Sergio Aguero continuing his lethal form up-front.

At the back, Fabian Delph will likely continue on at left-back after some decent performances there in the absence of Benjamin Mendy. With Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne notable absentees, though, we could see young Phil Foden get some game-time.

Bournemouth News

Jeffersen Lerma has impressed so far in the Premier League, but he misses this one with suspension. Adam Smith will be out for a while, too, which is quite a blow for the away side. Expect to see Dan Gosling step into the middle of the pitch, with Lewis Cook adding extra energy in a bid to slow down the City tide.

Verdict

Hard to say, but we can’t see anything other than a City win – the challenge is how many they will win by. City are vicious at the moment, and Bournemouth will likely feel the wrath of a side disappointed to only draw midweek.