Manchester City vs. Bournemouth: EPL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Tuesday night, Manchester City will host Bournemouth in a Premier League match, hoping to swiftly erase their most recent loss at Wembley Stadium.

The 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday crushed Pep Guardiola and company's hopes of winning the FA Cup, but the Cherries are still in with a slight chance of making the Conference League.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Crystal Palace celebrated their first major trophy at Wembley as Man City rued missed chances, VAR controversy, and criticism from Ian Wright, who called them "absolutely pathetic."

The FA Cup final's first half was lively, featuring a brilliant Eberechi Eze strike and a handball incident involving Palace keeper Dean Henderson. The second half slowed down, suiting Palace as they held on for a historic 1-0 win.

For City, signs are growing that the first Guardiola era is nearing its end. With only a Community Shield this season, they're battling for a top-five finish. Despite last weekend's frustrating draw with Southampton, City have won four of their last five home league games and boast a perfect end-of-season home record under Pep.

A Champions League place is still possible — they trail Aston Villa and Chelsea by one point with a game in hand and a superior goal difference.

Bournemouth's European hopes remain slim after a poor run and a loss to 10-man Aston Villa. But with just one defeat in their last 13 away games, the Cherries are clinging to faint hope, needing slip-ups from Brentford and Brighton to sneak into Europe.

Despite a 2-1 win over City in November, Guardiola's men got revenge in the FA Cup and maintain a perfect Premier League home record against Bournemouth.

Manchester City x Bournemouth Team News

City's injury list continues to grow, with Mateo Kovacic joining Rodri, Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb, and John Stones on the sidelines ahead of the FA Cup final. His availability for Tuesday remains uncertain.

Kevin De Bruyne, though injured recently, is expected to feature in what could be his final home appearance in Sky Blue — possibly starting or coming off the bench for a farewell.

Rico Lewis and James McAtee, omitted from the Wembley squad, could return to the lineup alongside options like Matheus Nunes, Nico Gonzalez, and Phil Foden as Guardiola considers rotation.

For Bournemouth, Alex Scott suffered a fractured jaw after a clash with Tyrone Mings last weekend, ruling him out for the season. In the treatment room, he joins Ryan Christie, Enes Unal, Dango Ouattara, and Luis Sinisterra.

The good news for Iraola is Justin Kluivert's return, while Evanilson — with five goals in his last five away games — is set to lead the line, and Lewis Cook should drop into a deeper midfield role beside Tyler Adams.

Meanwhile, £50 million-rated Dean Huijsen will start in defense for one of his final appearances before his confirmed Real Madrid move.

Our predictions

Full-time draw @ 4.80 on Sky247.ng

The depleted and heartbroken Man City may have their work cut out against a Bournemouth team that seldom loses a Premier League away game.

The Cherries' lackluster form makes it hard to support the away team to shock Manchester. Tuesday's match seems destined for a tight draw, which would be disappointing for both teams.

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