THE VERDICT: BOURNEMOUTH 0 CITY 1
CITY are tired. Pep Guardiola’s side played like they were “feeling like **** ” from the first minute (to borrow a phrase from Kevin de Bruyne) and the way Bournemouth set up made it a trudge for all as the game quickly took on the shape of an attack-against-defence exercise.
But City are also top of the league. A redemptive winner from Riyad Mahrez was enough to seal a 1-0 win and a ninth win in ten league games since losing to Leicester on Boxing Day to take the Blues two points clear of Liverpool – for at least a day.
If the new leaders were made to work hard for their victory, it was completely deserved.
Ederson cut a lonely figure from the first whistle with City camped in the Bournemouth half trying to break down an opponent happy to give up possession and drop deep enough to make creating chances extremely difficult.
For all the praise Guardiola has given Eddie Howe and the mutual respect between the coaches, such was the lack of ambition from the home team it was a wonder the City manager didn’t give his opposite number the Nathan Redmond treatment.
It is a tactic the champions are familiar with, yet one that remains tough to beat given the generally high standards in the Premier League – especially at the end of an exhausting schedule. David Silva and De Bruyne, starting their third game in seven days in central midfield, looked short of ideas and Silva put one of the best chances of the first half wide when he got his feet mixed up as he arrived on the end of a cutback in the box. As the break approached, and with the visitors having had just one of their eight shots on target from 83 per cent possession, De Bruyne went down after another overly ambitious ball and knew he couldn’t carry on. A slow troop off the pitch summed up his luck this season, and opened up a big opportunity for Mahrez – last seen being substituted early against West Ham following an ineffective showing. Phil Foden, Leroy Sane or Danilo could have been turned to, so this was a significant change. The former Leicester man was brought in to make an immediate impact with high expectations not only as the club’s record signing but as the only addition to the squad that stormed English football last year. At the Vitality Stadium, with City crying out for some inspiration, he delivered. The afternoon had already become more difficult when John Stones lasted Simon Bajkowski None Mahrez (55) 18% 82% 23 14 0 0 King Otamendi, Walker Kevin Friend just 48 minutes on his return to the team, but following some super work from Silva in the box there was Mahrez at the far post to hit a right-footed effort past Artur Boruc.
In an instant it was Bournemouth that had to find answers. Having had no shots and no corners up to that point, one swing of Mahrez’s boot forced the Cherries to break from a system they had rigidly stuck to if they were to cause any more frustration. Instead, it was the visitors that kept their stranglehold on the game.
It was only Boruc’s alertness that stopped Raheem Sterling grabbing a second, then Sergio Aguero’s cross-chip came back off the underside of the bar.
After recent battles against Chelsea and West Ham, City could have done with a wider margin of victory – if only to stop any more nonsense about them panicking in the title race.
While the 6-0 win over Chelsea is not