Manchester City will face a Bournemouth side who will be hurting after a demoralising 6-3 spanking at the hands of Everton which exposed their already under strain defensive frailties. The Cherries have struggled at the back and Chelsea’s decision to recall Nathan Ake midway through the season has also jeopardised their tactics and balance. City have already defeated Howe and his boys 4-0 this season and on paper, a similar scoreline won’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary but the League has demonstrated time and again its ability to surprise. Hence a straightforward match might well be put out of the picture.
Let us take a look at 3 battles which will be key to the outcome of the match.
STEVE COOK VS GABRIEL JESUS
Bournemouth’s defence is not their strength by any means and it is an area which will need improvement over time if the Cherries are to actually deliver on the expectations which Eddie Howe and the young group of players have garnered from their fearless performances.
They haven’t managed to keep out teams, especially the traditional heavyweights and Cook and his backline will be in for a difficult afternoon against City’s star-studded attack. Jesus is the man in form and true to his potential, has hit the ground running in the Premier League. He has 3 goals and 2 assists in 3 starts and will be confident of adding to his already impressive tally. Cook has to be on his game and hope for Gabriel to have a quieter day if he is to keep out the Brazilian.
JACK WILSHERE VS YAYA TOURE
The Arsenal loanee has slowly settled down with his new team and is an important part of their team now. Although he hasn’t yet come up with anything spectacular, a match against Manchester City is a perfect occasion to come up with your best game.
Yaya Toure has been utilised in the holding role and although he has been good, no team has yet tried to exploit his lack of pace in that area. Wilshere is not the quickest but can definitely get a yard or two ahead of Toure and with his dribbling ability, may well play an important role in neutralising Toure and putting him under pressure.
JOSH KING VS JOHN STONES
Callum Wilson has succumbed to another long-term injury and a surgery will see him miss the entire season once more. It is a tough time for him but Josh King has to step up in his absence. King was decent in his previous outing and will be tasked with unsettling the slightly jittery Manchester City defence. City struggle to keep out opponents and Howe will know he has to attack the Sky Blues. Stones is likely to be a part of the defence and has to step up and fortify the backline.
