Manchester City’s impressive unbeaten streak in the league came to an unexpected halt with a surprising defeat against Bournemouth.
Manchester City experienced an unexpected 2-1 loss against Bournemouth on Saturday, which put an end to their unbeaten streak of 32 games in the Premier League. The Cherries secured their first-ever victory over the visitors with goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson. As a result of this defeat, City dropped to the second position with 23 points after 10 matches, trailing behind Liverpool by two points.
Bournemouth, managed by Andoni Iraola, climbed to eighth place in the league standings with 15 points. Reflecting on the match, City manager Pep Guardiola admitted that his team couldn’t match Bournemouth’s intensity and praised their opponents for the well-deserved win. Despite an open game and late chances for City, they were unable to salvage a result.
The Cherries were rewarded for their strong start when Semenyo found the net in the ninth minute. Milos Kerkez showcased excellent skill on the left side, delivering a low cross to Semenyo, who skillfully turned and beat goalkeeper Ederson.
Evanilson extended the advantage in the 64th minute by capitalizing on Kerkez’s delivery and neatly finishing. Manchester City, who have been grappling with injuries to key players, made for an anxious ending after reducing the deficit in the 82nd minute. Josko Gvardiol rose to meet Ilkay Gundogan’s cross, and his looping header was nudged in off the crossbar by goalkeeper Mark Travers. This occurred just two minutes after Erling Haaland, City’s prolific scorer, registered their first shot on target. The visitors maintained the pressure on Travers, who had been relatively untested until then, and Bournemouth’s defense in the final moments. In added time, Travers pulled off a fantastic save to ensure Bournemouth’s victory, denying Haaland’s close-range header. The striker then struck the post with his follow-up attempt. City have been hindered by a lengthy injury list, although winger Jeremy Doku made an unexpected comeback and immediately made an impact as a second-half substitute. Both captain Kyle Walker and influential midfielder Kevin de Bruyne were not anticipated to feature, but Walker started the match while de Bruyne remained on the bench.
Phil Foden had a decent opportunity for City, but he pulled his shot wide of the goal in the second half. Haaland was brought down by Lewis Cook just before the hour mark, but VAR determined it to be a fair challenge. The Norwegian remained on the ground for several minutes receiving treatment before resuming play, but he was unable to score. This marks the second consecutive home win for the south-coast team, who also surprised Arsenal with a 2-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium two weeks ago. “It’s an incredible feeling,” said forward Semenyo. “We faced the best team in the world, and we made it difficult for them.
Everyone is thrilled with the result. A win is a win, regardless of whether it’s one goal or three. We deserved it.” “We have confidence,” added the 24-year-old. “We work hard every day in training and bring that onto the pitch. People may underestimate us, but we know our capabilities.”
