Bournemouth's historic season continues with an FA Cup quarter-final match against Manchester City. The Cherries have never gone further than this stage, but they have every right to be confident, having already beaten Man City in the Premier League this season.
Bournemouth's form has definitely dropped over the last month, but the team remains just five points off the top four in the Premier League. However, they have just one win in their last five games, and it came in the previous FA Cup round against the Wolves.
Even in that game, the Cherries needed a penalty shootout to come out as winners. You can definitely feel the fatigue in Andoni Iraola's squad, but after the international break, they should be in perfect physical condition and be able to show their true capabilities.
Manchester City's season is no less interesting, but in a completely different way. We may see a campaign without a single trophy for the team that won the Treble two years ago. The FA Cup is the last chance for Pep Guardiola and his team to save this season. And at the moment, the Citizens are far from their best form, with just four wins in their last 10 games in all competitions.
How the bookies view it: Man City are not as favoured as before
It's almost shocking to see such close odds for both teams. The bookies are losing more and more faith in Man City's abilities and are giving them 13/10 to win this fixture. In contrast, Bournemouth are available at 19/10, and the draw is priced at 27/10.
Recent head to head: The Cherries ended their horrible losing streak
The Citizens had a run of 15 consecutive wins against the Cherries until earlier this season, with most of those victories coming by big scores. Yet the fact is that Bournemouth won the first clash this season in the Premier League, going 2-1 at this very same stadium.
Players to watch: Semenyo loves the FA Cup
Antoine Semenyo never fails to attract attention in one way or another, whether it's because of his goals or the huge number of yellow cards he gets. The Ghanaian is among Bournemouth's top scorers in the Premier League but also has two goals and an assist in three FA Cup games. He also already scored against Man City after netting for 1-0 in their first clash of the season.
Probable line-ups
Bournemouth: Kepa, Soler, Senesi, Zabarnyi, Cook, Adams, Scott, Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier, Evanilson
Manchester City: Ortega, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Guardiola, Gundogan, Gonzalez, Savinho, Marmoush, Doku, Haaland
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams took risks in the previous round, but at this stage, we expect both managers to pick the strongest possible line-ups. This game will be on the level of a standard Premier League game, and we expect to see goals.
Manchester City have their moments, but really look like a team without an identity right now. The chemistry in the team is no longer the same. They made some serious transfers in the winter transfer window, but it remains to be seen if there will be a positive long-term effect. Bournemouth's chances of knocking them out, especially at this stadium, are very real.
This FA Cup match between Bournemouth and Man City will be played on and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Bournemouth vs Man City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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