Key events
That Marmoush goal was rather cracking. “A slo-mo of that shot shows the striker with both feet several feet off the ground immediately after impacting the ball,” writes Tim Smith. “Talk about putting everything into a shot. Genuinely, unstoppable thunderbarstard!”
Shaun in Nottingham writes in about that De Bruyne miss.
He’s going to get a ton of ‘miss of the season’ comments and all that stuff, but as a striker who scored a lot of goals (several hattricks, some 5s some 4s) I have some important details to consider.
Firstly, the ball is slightly behind him, and secondly it’s at pace, so he has to take it with his ‘wrong’ foot as he’s slightly ahead of the ball. Finally, crucially, watch it closely and you’ll see the ball pop up, so it’s easy to shin or slice that one upwards.
I did the same thing once, but put it over the bar.
Anyway, just saying. Details are important.
HALF-TIME: Manchester City 2-0 Bournemouth
Manchester City have been largely untroubled. Their only frustration will be De Bruyne blasting the bar when he had an open goal in front of him.
45+1 min A terrific block from Nunes denies Kluivert inside the City area, though he didn’t really nail the strike to begin with.
45 min De Bruyne’s ball in is dinked and Kepa punches away before Gündogan unleashes from outside the area … Kepa reacts well to save with so many shirts blocking his view. We have two minutes added on.
44 min Time for another Bournemouth yellow as Araujo takes down Gvardiol, handing City a free-kick on the left. The De Bruyne chants resume as he stands over the ball alongside Silva.
42 min City are wheeling the ball around with total calm.
Bournemouth are a touch sloppy as City attack and attack, with Kovacic playing the ball into the area, Gündogan seizing on to it to deliver a pull-back, and Bernardo Silva, tracked by no one, is on hand by the six-yard line to lace a low finish past Kepa.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 Bournemouth (Silva 38)
Silva gets in on the fun and City are in total control.
36 min Huijsen goes into the book for a foul on Gündogan. Might as well be a bit naughty before the move abroad.
35 min Ederson misplaces a pass from the back to find Bournemouth’s Tavernier; he sets up for a long-range shot that is blocked.
32 min Nearly a stunning team goal from Bournemouth. Huijsen dinks a first-time ball over the top for Tavernier to chase on to on the left, and he crosses with his first touch, too. Evanilson meets it inside the area, stretching out to strike with his right foot … but the shot rattles the post.
31 min Kovacic dinks a ball over to Nunes on the right before the lively Marmoush plays in Gündogan … but the offside flag goes up after the German midfielder has his shot blocked.
30 min Bournemouth have had little to shout about so far, with Gvardiol easily bouncing Kluivert out of the way to win the ball.
26 min The City crowd have gone quiet, still in disbelief.
25 min De Bruyne misses an open goal! That’s unbelievable. City smoothly work it down the field, with the ball played across goal by Marmoush to De Bruyne, ready to strike first time inside the six-yard box. But he hits the bar!
22 min Nearly a De Bruyne-Haaland classic. The midfielder crosses from the left, with the striker lingering at the back post. He goes for the acrobatic, trying to divert the ball in with the outside of his left boot, raised sky-high. Kepa saves – perhaps a header was more suitable.
21 min City are starting to get their groove on, the confidence now there after taking the lead.
20 min Kovacic loses his footing in the middle of the park but recovers his balance to keep City ticking. Haaland holds the ball up nicely to play to Gvardiol on the left, but the full-back’s pass into the area fails to find a teammate.
18 min Ederson collects from a Bournemouth free-kick and tries to get City moving on the counter. Semenyo is having to do plenty of defensive work out on the wing, with Gvardiol pushing high for City.
Omar Marmoush picks up the ball centrally from way out, sees plenty of space in front and advances. From around 30 yards he decides to let fly, the ball threatening to go way over the bar … but no, it drops to find the top left corner. He’s moved on quickly from that penalty miss in the cup final.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Bournemouth (Marmoush 14)
A staggering, swerving, dipping hit gives City the lead!
14 min Bernardo Silva drops deep to get City moving and plays to Gvardiol on the left … but Semenyo does an excellent job tracking back.
12 min Bournemouth get their high press working as Ederson goes long to Haaland – but Zabarnyi and Huijsen have not been properly threatened so far, cleaning up at the back.
9 min Bournemouth are camped behind the ball, with City searching for an opening. De Bruyne finds it, threading a pass through the lines for Matheus Nunes to run on to but Kepa is quick off his line and denies the right-back.
7 min De Bruyne finds himself in that right channel from which he has released so many delicious crosses over the years. His ball into the mixer is headed away before Kovacic lets loose from outside the box, his low shot just wide of the post.
6 min Marmoush finds Silva in the Bournemouth area but his first touch lets him down and he can’t pick out a teammate with a pull-back.
4 min De Bruyne shows off his vision with a reverse pass to Bernardo Silva, who is driving into the area, but the move quickly breaks down.
3 min Some lax work at the back from City sees Justin Kluivert break through for a chance in the area, but he’s off balance as he strikes and fails to properly threaten Ederson.
2 min No dramas from the throw as City get their passing game going.
1 min Bournemouth push forward as Antoine Semenyo gets ready to launch a long throw from the right …
Peeeeep!
Manchester City kick things off, moving from left to right on my screen. Let’s go!
Manchester City unveil a ‘King’ tifo dedicated to De Bruyne. It’s all about him right now … can Bournemouth spoil the party and complete a league double?
Here’s how we’re looking before tonight’s fixtures:
“He has been missed,” says Pep Guardiola about Rodri’s return. On De Bruyne’s farewell, he adds: “It’s a special game. We are playing, of course, for Kev. It’s a massive day for him emotionally, hope he can control his emotions because it is not easy. But he help us for many years and today will not be an exception.”
“If Tom Cairney leaves for Wrexham KDB seems like the perfect replacement as Fulham’s geriatric midfielder,” writes Richard Hirst. “Trouble is, he’ll expect a lot more money, so we’ll need to finish above Bournemouth and Palace to get more place money. So come on Kevin, you’re playing for your salary!”
“All sorts of individual songs, but never Player of the Month,” writes Phil Grey. “That either undermines the award or shows De Bruyne was never able to play well for 3 or 4 games in a row.”
I’m sure Kevin will find comfort in his two Player of the Season awards.
Team news
Pep Guardiola acknowledges the emotional pull of the contest: Kevin De Bruyne will start and lead City. Mateo Kovacic returns after missing the FA Cup final, but here’s the big one: Rodri makes it on to the bench. Bournemouth are without Alex Scott, who sustained a fractured jaw against Aston Villa earlier in the month. There is a start for Dean Huijsen, soon to be Real Madrid’s.
Manchester City: Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gündogan, De Bruyne, Silva, Marmoush, Haaland
Subs: Ortega, Aké, Grealish, Doku, Nico, Rodri, Foden, Bobb, O’Reilly
Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga, Araujo, Zabaryni, Huijsen, Kerkez, Cook, Adams, Tavernier, Semenyo, Kluivert, Evanilson
Subs: Dennis, Senesi, Smith, Soler, Akinmboni, Brooks, Winterburn, Jebbison, Silcott-Duberry
Will Unwin
Before the fans filtered in, a plethora of cardboard crowns were carried around the concourse at the Etihad Stadium in preparation. There are plans aplenty to celebrate the end of Kevin De Bruyne’s time at Manchester City with the Belgian entering the final weeks of his contract – a mosaic of the 33-year-old was unveiled at the training ground earlier on Tuesday. This will be the last time he ever graces this stadium in blue and he is unlikely to carry on to the Club World Cup.
Supporters will line the players’ entrance for a glimpse of their hero who has made them get off their seats over the past decade, becoming the club’s most successful icon in the process, earning trinkets and medals galore, six Premier League titles and a Champions League. The body has failed him in recent times but he can still show glimpses of the phenomenal midfielder he can be. The ferocious schedule has taken its toll on De Bruyne but he will keep going, eager to thrash in a 30-yard shot with either foot or create something out of nothing. There will be a few tears come full time and even more if City do not win and put their qualification for the Champions League in jeopardy.
Preamble
We’re approaching 10 years since Kevin De Bruyne left Wolfsburg for Manchester City, signed for a club-record fee of £55m. The eyebrows were raised to Ancelotti levels.
This was the guy Chelsea had let go just a year and a half earlier for £18m, his time at Stamford Bridge yielding three league appearances and not much joy under José Mourinho. He was subsequently exceptional in Germany, but could he crack it in the so-called Best League in the World?
Six Premier League medals is the answer, one of them part of a treble campaign, all sorts of individual gongs to go with them. His 420 appearances for City have returned 108 goals and 177 (!) assists, and then there’s the how: vicious passes, crosses on a string, coldly efficient in every move but still a gorgeous, joyous, eternally watchable footballer. Today he says goodbye to the Etihad as City welcome Bournemouth.
But this isn’t a testimonial. City are sixth with Champions League football still not secure, while the Cherries had their number in the reverse fixture. There’s work to do before Kev bids adieu. Kick-off’s at 8pm BST.
