Match Description
Man City 4 v 0 AFCB
23 December 2017
Attendance: 54,270
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| The Cherries were out classed at the Etihad. |
This was not one that many Bournemouth fans were perhaps looking forward to even if the neutral was relishing what goals would come. City were fairly pedestrian at first and were happy enough to go in one up at half time with Aguero heading them ahead. But in the second half City were far more dominant running in three more goals and that eft Bournemouth in the bottom three. Worst still, Stanislas and Surman picked up injuries and Eddie Howe has a big task to pick his players up now.
Eddie Howe decided to give Jack Simpson his Premier League debut as part of a back three while Jordan Ibe would join Stanislas and Wilson up front in a 3-4-3 formation. Steve Cook also made his 250th appearance, but Simon Francis was dropped with a hamstring pull. All Bournemouth's injured players were rested and will hopefully be in contention for the West Ham match. Man City were not resting players for Bournemouth and had most of their big hitters in for this game.
Match Description
Begovic has an early catch ahead of Raheem Sterling. Walker is next to dart into the box but he is offside. Simpson was in close attendance.
Callum gets a corner off of Vincent Kompany, but it is a flat corner from Ibe that does not pas the first man. Steve Cook heads out for a corner defending a de Bruyne cross.
Stanislas gets robbed and Mn City are very quickly on the attack. Aguero gets caught offside.
Ibe pulls the ball back to Stanislas and the shot just goes past the right post. It looks like Stanislas has pulled a hamstring with that shot. He's holding the back of his right leg and he is being subbed for Marc Pugh to come on after 12 minutes.
Stirling out paces Fraser on the left, but his cross is blocked. Gosling give the ball away in midfield and Akee gets the tackle in on Aguero. Simpson has to concede a corner as Sterling out paces Fraser again. Bournemouth will have to watch that, Fraser looks up against it with Sterling.
Man City are not finding it easy to break Bournemouth's lines. Bournemouth are very organised at the moment denying space. Ibe is running on his own and runs in to blue shirts.
Good possession form Man City and Aguero tries to lob Begovic but hits his shot over the bar. De Bruyne hits a long sweeping ball across the pitch to Sane and Silva wins a corner. Fernandinho heads over, 21 minutes gone.
Fraser's cross is cleared on the left by Kompany. Fraser is now offside. Gosling is just beaten off the ball in midfield. Otamendi hits a speculative drive from 30 yards and Begovic pushes it out from the top left corner.
Begovic hits a poor kick out and the ball is crossed by Fernandinho and Aguero stoops and heads in past Begovic to make it 1-0 on 26 minutes. Bournemouth were pressed in their own box and just did not get the ball out to safety and paid the price. Steve Cook played Aguero onside.
Callum Wilson is blocked off the ball and gets a free kick. Adam Smith gets a well timed tackle in on Sane on half way. Gosling loses the ball and Sane whips a low cross in that Begovic collects. De Bruyne hits a high shot out of play, no worries for Begovic there.
De Bruyne tries to bet the offside trap but can't keep the ball in. Sane is offside now.
Fraser gets a good defensive header in. Fraser puts in Wilson and the Man City keeper is out and the ball comes to Ibe but it's out for a corner. Bournemouth were close there. Kompany head the ball out for another corner.
Aké jumps with Ederson and it's a foul on the keeper. The game seems at half pace today. Rather a lot of respect being showed by both sides. Ball over the top for Ibe from Fraser, deflected shot - it's out for a corner.
Surman is holding his right shoulder/collar bone. Ederson punches the corner cross away. Steve Cook puts long throw forward. Ibe gets a corner but it's half time.
Man City have had 75 per cnet possession and have made six shots, two on target, while AFCB have had three shots off target. Bournemouth lead the corners, four to three.
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Steve Cook gets a good tackle in just in time ahead of Silva in the box. Surman has come out for the second half. Man City are being careful in possession.
Wilson just hits a pas too strongly for Ibe. Bournemouth have a free kick. City take a high line. Aké goes over and fouled a City player. City passing is broken up but they soon win it back. Aguero plays in Sterling who times his run well and its 2-0. Sterling went in behind Surman and Simpson. Sterling scored after 53 minutes.
Simpson gets good header in that Begovic can claim. It's one-way traffic. Bournemouth just can't get on the ball. Adam Smith puts in a poor challenge on Sane from behind. Free kick, Begovic punches out out for a corner.
Pugh goes down but Walker gets the free kick. Just past the hour mark. Sane fouls dam Smith, not sure why Gosling did not get a foul given to him. Adam Smith ploughs into Aguero and picks up a yellow card.
Bournemouth have no answer to City's possession. Even when a shot is blocked the ball just comes back. Bernardo Silva comes on for Sane on 67 minutes.
Bournemouth are going to have a go with Afobe and Mousset looking to come on soon. City are so comfortable it is becoming a show, some 50 passes or more. This is a training session. Aké gets a headed clearance away. De Bruyne spoons his shot.
On comes Afobe for Wilson and Simpson comes off for Mousset to come on after 72 minutes. Fraser is playing at left back in a back four now.
De Bruyne is now subbed for Gündogan on 74 minutes. Adam Smith fines Afobe but the ball runs away from Bournemouth's number nine. Afobe is flagged offside but I'm not sure about that.
Silva now shoots well side, marshalled by Steve Cook. Gündogan in to Aguros and the header goes in to make it 3-0 on 79 minutes. It was a fine ball in but Aguero got in behind Steve Cook and simply directed his header past Begovic from four yards out.
Delph is subbed on 81 minutes for Danilo to come on. Sterling wriggles through and Aguero is just blocked. Mousset is tackled and Aguero is kept out by Steve Cook.
It's walking pace now. City come forward. Sterling plays in Denilo and he shoots past Begovic on the right side of Bournemouth to make it 4-0. Gosling just had no legs to get back and Adam Smith was no where in sight, 85 minutes gone.
Bournemouth have a rare corner. Ederson catches the ball. Sterling through the middle has his shot blocked. Pugh and Gosling work the ball and win a corner. City on the break and Adam Smith breaks the move up.
Ibe on the left gets tackled before he can cross. We are into added time. City are just making rings around Bournemouth players. A cross for Aguero is just too high.
Summary
This was Man City taking it easy on Bournemouth. Aguero is such a good finished that Bournemouth would always find themselves in trouble when he got in space. Now Bournemouth are in the bottom three and they know the task they have in the second half of the season is a huge one of survival. It was always going to be hard for Bournemouth to get points away at the Etihad, but we can't argue with the result. The injury front also looks bad, but it may mean Eddie Howe does look to do something in the transfer window now.
Man City
Ederson, Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Delph, De Bruyne (Gündogan 74), Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling, Agüero, Sané (Bernardo Silva 67)
Man City Subs
- Bravo, Danilo, Gündogan, Mangala, Bernardo Silva, Jesus, Y Touré
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| AFCB team that took on Man City. |
AFCB Subs
Boruc, L Cook, Hyndman, Mahoney, Pugh, Mousset, Afobe
AFCB Ratings
Begovic 5, A Smith 4, S Cook 4, Aké 6, Simpson 5, Fraser, 5 Gosling 5, Surman 5, Stanislas 4 (Pugh 5), Ibe 5, Wilson 4 (Afobe 4)
MoM: Aké
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