While Liverpool prepared for a final that Manchester City more often than not in recent years have contested, Pep Guardiola’s team used their game in hand over the league leaders to move within one point of Jürgen Klopp’s team.
Perhaps having heard that Andoni Iraola intended to be attacking, City began slightly cautiously and ended the contest under the cosh. Bournemouth truly deserved at least a draw given their principled fearlessness.
“Bournemouth had seven days to prepare for one game,” was Guardiola’s response. “Seven days of dreaming every second of one week to beat the best team in the world. We had three days.”
The visiting side ought to have taken an early lead through Erling Haaland but the striker continued his new tradition of failing to convert clear chances when a flick-on from Phil Foden gave him time to choose his spot but his effort was well wide. The home team were more sprightly and Milos Kerkez forced a save from Ederson.
Guardiola called his players “supermen” but they were not quite operating at superhero levels, although Foden came close. His low strike was gathered easily by Neto but a few minutes later the England midfielder calmly half-volleyed a Neto parry from a Haaland strike to give City the lead.
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“He has already become a top-class football player,” Guardiola said of his 23-year-old goalscorer. “Before he was a little boy and now he is a world-class top player. He’s so good. He can play everywhere but especially in central positions he is really good.”
Bernardo Silva’s curling shot drifted wide as City summoned a gradual rise in arrogance and the home team slowly dropped deeper.
It was almost amusing how Guardiola became inconsolably irate when a throw-in in the Bournemouth half did not go in favour of his team. He was also in constant gesticulating dialogue with Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic, who had the misfortune of operating close to the technical areas in the first half. Guardiola demands more from everyone, including the officials.
If Iraola instructed his players to mix things up, to go direct, then no one heard. The home team tried to pass their way around City and there were glimpses of how it could be profitable but they struggled to maintain accuracy in every third of the pitch. A long-range effort from Justin Kluivert was elegant enough but lacked power and soon City broke forward with Haaland once again unable to convert.
A burst of pace from Antoine Semenyo looked certain to force an equaliser for Bournemouth especially as Nathan Aké slipped, allowing the winger to deliver a cross but Marcus Tavernier could only stab unconvincingly at the ball. A pull-back from Dominic Solanke was met by Tavernier but this time he pulled his effort wide.
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Tavernier’s last involvement before being substituted was to take a corner that was met by the head of Solanke and the ball very nearly crossed the line.
Bournemouth were well in the game and there was a huge cheer when Haaland was replaced. His last involvement was to see his attempt to chip Neto thwarted rather easily.
Kovacic gave way to Kevin De Bruyne in the 84th minute just as Iraola’s team displayed more energy than City for the denouement. A strike from Dango Ouattara was promising but wide of the far post. A header from Enes Unal grazed an upright. But City held on.
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Neto 7 — A Smith 7, I Zabarnyi 7, M Senesi 7 (R Faivre 80min), M Kerkez 7 (L Sinisterra 88) — R Christie 6 (E Unal, 88), L Cook 7 — A Semenyo 7, J Kluivert 7 (A Scott 68), M Tavernier 7 (D Outtara 68, 7) — D Solanke 7 Booked Cook, Senesi.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson 7 — M Akanji 7, J Stones 7, R Dias 7, N Aké 7 — Rodri 7, B Silva 8 — P Foden 8, M Kovacic 7 (K De Bruyne 84), M Nunes 7 (J Doku 63) — E Haaland 7 (J Àlvarez, 75) Booked Silva, De Bruyne.
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Referee J Gillett. Attendance 11,184.
