The four-time Premier League title winner, still only 22, was an unused substitute against RB Leipzig on Wednesday but returns to the starting line-up this afternoon.
Guardiola spoke highly of the academy graduate in his pre-match press conference, calling him a ‘diamond’ and revealing he’s been struggling on and off since the World Cup with an ankle issue.
But he’s fit to come into the XI this afternoon for the game at the Vitality Stadium.
We face the Cherries this afternoon in a 17:30 (UK time) kick-off.
Foden comes in along with Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez in place of Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez.
Kevin De Bruyne, who missed the Leipzig game through illness, returns on the bench this afternoon.
TEAMS
BOURNEMOUTH XI: Neto, Smith, Mepham, Stephens, Senesi, Zemura, Lerma, Billing, Ouattara, Traore, Solanke.
Subs: Fredericks, Christie, Rothwell, Stacey, Moore, Semenyo, Anthony, Travers, Randolph.
CITY XI: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Phillips, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Gomez, Mahrez, Perrone
TACTICS
It looks like 4-3-3 for City – Pep Guardiola’s favoured formation.
Ederson is between the sticks and protected by a back four of Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.
Rodrigo is the anchor man in the midfield, with Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden getting forward on either side of him.
Jack Grealish and Julian Alvarez will look to work their magic on the wings in support of central forward Erling Haaland.
But, as usual with Guardiola teams, there’s the tactical flexibility to switch it up.
MILESTONE MOMENTS?
Four of our players are close to landmark numbers heading into this afternoon’s clash with Bournemouth.
Ederson needs one more clean sheet to register 100 in total for City in the Premier League.
Erling Haaland is one goal away from becoming the player with the most goals scored in a single Premier League season for City.
Haaland’s current total of 26 Premier League goals is the joint highest, matching Sergio Aguero’s final tally in 2014/15.
Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez are also close to milestones, although they start on the bench.
De Bruyne currently has 98 Premier League assists and needs two more to bring up a century of assists.
Riyad Mahrez’s next assist will see him become the leading African player in Premier League history for assists.
Here’s to us hitting those numbers soon!
MATCH STATS
City have won all 11 of our Premier League games against Bournemouth, the best 100% win rate in the competition’s history.
City have won 199 Premier League away games – our first 100 came in 337 games between 1992 and 2014, while their last 99 have taken just 156 games. Our last away match ended in a 1-1 draw against promoted side Nottingham Forest.
Bournemouth have never beaten City in 17 previous league meetings (D2 L15) – it’s the most one team has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.
City have had 515 open play sequences of 10+ passes in the Premier League this season, over 150 more than any other side and 412 more than Bournemouth who rank 20th. Only West Ham (359) have seen their opponents have more such sequences than Bournemouth (340).
No Bournemouth player has been involved in more Premier League goals this season than Marcus Tavernier (7 – 3 goals, 4 assists). His seven involvements have come in his last four starts in the competition.
Erling Haaland has 26 Premier League goals this season, five more than Bournemouth have managed as a team. The last City player to score more in a single top-flight campaign was Francis Lee (33 in 1971/72).
Jack Grealish has been involved in seven goals in 18 Premier League games for Man City this season (3 goals, 4 assists), one more than he was in 26 appearances last term (3 goals, 3 assists). All seven of these have come away from home so far this term.
