Pep Guardiola’s 150th Premier League game ended in victory after David Silva delivered another timely reminder of his enduring quality to inspire Manchester City to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Bournemouth.
Silva, who will leave the Club at the end of this season, opened the scoring with a superb 20-yard free-kick, before slicing open the Cherries’ defence to set Gabriel Jesus up for our second.
Former City Academy player David Brooks provided a late scare when he pulled a goal back in the closing stages, but the home side held on under pressure.
DONATE | CITYZENS GIVING FOR RECOVERY
The victory maintains City’s 100% record over Bournemouth in the Premier League, but Guardiola’s men were made to work hard for the three points against the relegation strugglers.V
AR showed Josh King to be marginally offside when he tapped in, whilst Ederson was at full stretch to superbly claw Junior Stanislas’ free-kick onto the post.
WHAT HAPPENED
Silva handed City the perfect start, expertly curling the ball beyond the helpless Aaron Ramsdale via the underside of the crossbar after Jefferson Lerma’s foul.
It looked as if it would be a long night for the visitors, but with City not at our slick best, Eddie Howe’s side rallied.
King fired wide under pressure, before Ederson‘s stunning save from Stanislas’ set-piece and then Otamendi threw his body in the way to deflect Dominic Solanke’s close-range effort over the bar.
The visitors were left lamenting missed opportunities when Jesus latched onto Silva’s precise through ball, cut inside two defenders and fired expertly into the far corner.
Stanislas created two opportunities, the first was converted by King but ruled out by VAR for an incredibly tight offside, whilst the second saw Ilkay Gundogan block Dan Gosling’s half-volley after Ederson spilled a cross.
VAR was called into action again when Steve Cook brought down Jesus in the area.
Referee Lee Mason awarded a penalty, but replays showed it was the Brazilian who had stood on the Cherries’ captain’s foot.
Late in the game, Phil Foden danced between Jack Stacey and Cook but shot straight at Ramsdale and it meant City were forced to endure a nerve-jangling finale.
It started when Brooks guided Wilson’s cross into the bottom corner and in six minutes of added time, Ederson‘s defence were forced to withstand a late onslaught, with the ‘keeper diving at the feet of Sam Surridge to maintain our lead.
