Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Manchester City are on course to end the season without silverware. A poor run in the autumn dashed their title hopes, while a lack of composure at Wembley saw them fall to a second straight defeat in the FA Cup final.
Manchester City
Despite controlling proceedings against Crystal Palace last time out with 78% possession and a 23:7 shot count, the team squandered a penalty through Omar Marmoush. Their English Premier League campaign has also been inconsistent: currently sixth in the standings, this clash with Bournemouth forms part of the penultimate round, and they must win both remaining fixtures to ensure Champions League qualification. Following this encounter, they travel to face Fulham — a team they should be expected to beat. However, poor finishing has been a recurring theme, with their recent opponents covering a +1.5 handicap in four of the last five matches — including Southampton.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth haven’t played since 10 May, when they lost 0:1 at home to Aston Villa, who are chasing a Champions League berth. Bournemouth have recorded just two wins in seven matches since the start of April (against Fulham and Arsenal), but notably, none of those defeats have come by more than one goal. In fact, their run of covering a +1.5 handicap dates back to 8 February and now stretches across 15 games.
Manchester City vs Bournemouth Prediction
That run includes a 1:2 FA Cup quarter-finals loss to Manchester City. More significantly, the sides exchanged one-goal wins in two meetings at Vitality Stadium in 2024. With that trend in mind, there's little reason to deviate. The smart play is backing the visitors to avoid a defeat by more than one goal.
