MANCHESTER CITY haven't been at their brilliant best in the last two games and will need to get back up to speed when they face a dangerous AFC Bournemouth side in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola saw his team's 11-game winning run come to an end last weekend when Chelsea claimed a 1-1 draw at the Etihad, busting the coupon of Slips Tips and plenty of other punters.
They came close to dropping more points in the title race on Tuesday night but Erling Haaland scored a second-half winner as a 1-0 victory over Brentford made it a frustrating night for our man Gabriel.
Liverpool responded a day later by thrashing Luton Town to restore their four-point lead at the top so now the champions need to close the gap again when they face Andoni Iraola's men.
AFC Bournemouth's form in the Premier League is poor, with the Cherries going six matches without a victory, but three of their last four matches have ended in draws so they've still been picking up points.
That has moved AFC Bournemouth eight points clear of the drop zone so they probably only need to get a few more victories on the board to secure safety. Last time out they claimed a 2-2 draw at St James' Park and Iraola has the players to hurt Manchester City if the champions aren't on top of their game.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Manchester City as red-hot favourites and they are just 4/11 with most firms. AFC Bournemouth are 13/2 rank outsiders with Bet365, who price the draw at 9/2.
Recent head to head
Manchester City destroyed Bournemouth 6-1 when these sides faced off earlier in the season at the Etihad and you have to go all the way back to 1989 for the last time the Cherries avoided defeat in this fixture. It was another comfortable win when Guardiola's side last visited the Vitality Stadium, with City easing to a 4-1 victory last term.
Players to watch
Dominic Solanke has been Bournemouth's go-to guy for goals this season, netting 16 times. He has scored three times in his last five outings and is 11/4 at Bet365 to add to his tally.
Jeremy Doku started on the bench for Man City in midweek but will surely start here after destroying Bournemouth in the reverse fixture. The winger scored and claimed four assists that day so will fancy his chances of running riot again. Doku is 18/5 at Unibet for anytime scorer while Bet365 price him at 3/1 for an assist.
Anything else catch the eye?
Even though Bournemouth were outclassed at the Etihad they still managed to score and have only drawn a blank in one of their last 19 matches. That's why BTTS is just 7/10 here at VBet but combining it with over 2.5 goals boosts the odds to 20/21 at Coral. Over 3.5 strikes also stands a chance at 5/4 with Betfair as it has landed in the last two matches for the Cherries.
Some stats bets catch the eye in what should be an open game. Solanke looks great value at evens with Bet365 just to have a shot on target while Doku is the same price in the same market. Offsides are another good option with both sides set up to attack and SkyBet are offering 5/4 on over 3.5 offsides.
Lewis Cook will be at the heart of the midfield battle and the Bournemouth man has collected four yellows and red this season. He's 4/1 with Bet365 to go in the book and that looks a little overpriced.
This English Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City will be played on Feb 24, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best AFC Bournemouth vs Manchester City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
