Phil Foden’s first-half strike proved enough to give City a hard-fought 1-0 win against Bournemouth.
The Blues struck on 24 minutes after fine work by Erling Haaland, who saw his shot parried into Foden‘s path and the England star swept the ball home.
Though City dominated most of the first half, Bournemouth came on strongly after the break and had two chances cleared off the line.
The home side fought to the final whistle and will feel they should have perhaps earned a rare point against their jinx side who have now won all 14 Premier League meetings against them.
WHAT HAPPENED?
It was evident from the opening few minutes that Andoni Iraola is shaping an organised, physical, and hard-working side.
The hosts pressed high with aggression, but City soon found some rhythm and should have taken the lead with just nine minutes played.
A long ball forward was delightfully volleyed into Haaland’s path by Foden and as the Norwegian advanced on goal, it was hard to imagine anything but the home side’s net bulging – but from 20 yards out he curled a shot wide of the post.
Two minutes later, Ederson made a fine save to push Milo Kerkez’s powerful angled shot over the bar.
The Blues had largely been in control with Foden a constant threat, dictating play and creating chances for his team-mates, so when City finally took the lead. on 24 minutes, it was no surprise that it was the England playmaker who made the breakthrough.
Mateo Kovacic spotted Haaland’s clever dart into the box, chipped the ball towards him and the big No.9 expertly held off the challenge off his marker, fired a shot in and though keeper Neto pushed the shot out, Foden was first to the loose ball to score his 16th goal of an already magnificent season.
Bernardo almost doubled the Blues’ lead three minutes, curling a shot wide from 10 yards out after several efforts from his team-mates had been blocked.
Though Bournemouth enjoyed a brief spell before the break, City went in at half-time a goal to the good.
A similar pattern continued after the restart, with City continually probing around the Bournemouth box, but the home side looking dangerous on the counter and on 55 minutes, Ruben Dias was well-placed to head almost off the line after Marcus Tavernier’s scuffed shot looked to have beaten Ederson.
Then, on 67 minutes, the Cherries went even closer as Dominic Solanke’s back post header was just pushed out by Ederson on the line.
City needed the cushion of a second goal and on 75 minutes, Haaland almost provided it as he muscled his way through the home defence before being denied by Neto.
That was his last act of the game as Julian Alvarez came on for the final 15 or so.
The longer the game went on, the more dangerous Bournemouth looked, with a number of crosses from the right causing panic in the City defence.
And as the clock ticked 90, former City youngster Unal headed inches wide from the impressive Semenyo’s cross into the box.
It was an increasingly tense finish, but City defended superbly – and had to – against a side who are much-improved and almost unrecognisable from the one beaten 6-1 at the Etihad last November.
