It was a comfortable afternoon in the end for Pep Guardiola’s City side…
Manchester City returned to winning ways on Sunday with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth, as Erling Haaland continued his prolific start to the season with another double.
The result saw Pep Guardiola’s side leapfrog their opponents into second place in the Premier League, cutting Arsenal’s lead at the top to six points.
The match began at a frantic pace, with Bournemouth briefly thinking they had taken the lead inside the opening minute when Eli Junior Kroupi bundled the ball home, only for the flag to go up for offside.
That early warning sparked City into life, and after several half chances for Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku, the breakthrough arrived in the 17th minute.
A defensive clearance from Ruben Dias was flicked on by Rayan Cherki, whose cushioned header over the halfway line released Haaland into space.
The Norwegian striker raced clear of the backline and calmly slotted past Djordje Petrovic to make it 1-0, taking his Premier League tally to 12 for the campaign.
Bournemouth responded, though, pressing high and looking to exploit City’s occasional lapses in concentration.
Their persistence paid off just eight minutes later when Alex Scott’s corner caused chaos in the box. Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to deal with the delivery, and Tyler Adams reacted quickest to volley home from close range for his first goal in English football.
Parity, however, lasted less than 10 minutes. Cherki, who was instrumental throughout the first half, once again turned provider in the 33rd minute.
His quick first-time pass slipped Haaland through on goal, and City’s number nine rounded Petrovic before finishing from a tight angle to restore the lead.
It was Haaland’s fourth consecutive home game with at least two goals, placing him alongside Luis Suarez and Robbie Fowler in Premier League history.
City could have extended their advantage before the break, with Doku and Foden both going close and O’Reilly having a shot cleared off the line by Alex Jimenez.
At the other end, Donnarumma was forced into a sharp save from Antoine Semenyo, but the champions went into half-time ahead and in control.
Cruising in the second half
Bournemouth showed intent early in the second half, creating chances through Brooks and Kroupi, both of whom forced Donnarumma into action.
Yet City weathered the pressure and struck decisively on the hour mark. On his 200th Premier League appearance, Foden set up academy graduate Nico O’Reilly, who surged into the box before driving a low shot into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.
That goal effectively sealed the points, though Bournemouth refused to give up. Tavernier and substitute Justin Kluivert both tested the City defence late on, but Josko Gvardiol’s timely blocks and Donnarumma’s confident handling preserved the two-goal cushion.
Guardiola used the closing stages to manage minutes, bringing on Rodri for his first appearance since returning from injury and handing Savinho and Reijnders brief cameos.
Haaland, denied the chance for a hat-trick, made way to a standing ovation after another clinical display.
