Manchester City vs Bournemouth prediction, odds and betting tips

Manchester City should have little difficulty in seeing off Bournemouth in the Premier League this weekend.

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Manchester City vs Bournemouth odds

Here are the latest match odds for Man City vs Bournemouth. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites.

Quick Manchester City vs Bournemouth tips

Manchester City vs Bournemouth predictions

Manchester City delivered their best performance of the Premier League season last time out.

In the first Manchester derby of the campaign, Pep Guardiola’s side were superior to their arch-rivals in every department.

Manchester United made a bright start in the first 10 minutes, but they spent the rest of the match on the back foot. 

City scored three times without reply at Old Trafford to move back within two points of Tottenham Hotspur in top spot.

They will climb to the summit of the standings, at least temporarily, with a victory over Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.

City might not be in first place right now but they are still the strong favourites to win the Premier League title.

That will not change for as long as the reigning champions, who have lifted the trophy five times in the last six years, remain within touching distance of the top.

City have at times played within themselves this season. In their first 10 games last term, they won by a three-goal margin or more on five occasions. 

At the same stage of the current campaign, they have won only three matches by a margin greater than two goals.

That is still a decent record, but it has often felt as if City are holding something back. They have been content to protect their leads through possession rather than racking up the goals, such as in the recent 2-1 triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Given the relatively small size of his squad, that is no doubt a preservation tactic from Guardiola. However, City may well go for it on Saturday.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth betting tips

Bournemouth are likely to leave the Etihad Stadium with their tail between their legs on Saturday.

Manchester City to win both halves – 5/6 (bet365)

For further evidence that Manchester City have made control their principal priority this season, consider the expected goals (xG) table.

Guardiola’s men have the best defensive record in the division, having given up just 0.7 xG per game on average. But they rank third in attack with an xG of 1.96, an inferior figure to both Liverpool and Newcastle United.

City are already out of the EFL Cup after defeat by Newcastle in round three, but they will be targeting a repeat of last season’s treble by going all the way in the Champions League and FA Cup, as well as the Premier League.

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Guardiola therefore needs to manage his resources so that City can go the distance rather than running out of steam later on in the season.

The fact they are already on the verge of sealing a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League certainly helps. A win against Young Boys next week would send City through to the round of 16, while a draw could also be good enough.

All of which is bad news for Bournemouth, who would probably be content with a low-scoring loss this weekend.

Ultimately, though, it is difficult to envisage anything other than a comfortable victory for City in this one.

Tip Manchester City to win both halves at 5/6 with bet365

Manchester City -2.5 Asian handicap – 23/25 (bet365)

Bournemouth have made a poor start to the season, but they finally got off the mark in the Premier League last weekend.

Andoni Iraola’s side came from a goal down to beat Burnley 2-1, a victory which moved them out of the relegation zone.

Iraola has struggled to get his ideas across so far. The Spaniard did a fine job at Rayo Vallecano but a failure to beat Burnley last weekend would have left Iraola in a very vulnerable position.

He has eased some of that pressure on himself for now, but a trip to the Etihad is the worst possible assignment to follow that first win.

There were positives to take from a 2-1 loss to Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, but while Bournemouth were locking horns with one of the best teams in the division, City were preparing for this game.

The fact they have had a full week off makes City even stronger favourites. Do not be surprised if they win by a three-goal margin or more.

Tip Manchester City with a -2.5 Asian handicap at 23/25 with bet365

Erling Haaland to score first – 7/4 (bet365)

Erling Haaland no doubt considered himself unfortunate when he came second to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or vote this week.

The Manchester City frontman looks destined to be crowned the world’s best player at some point and a brace against Manchester United last Sunday marked a timely return to form for the Norway international.

Guardiola seldom rests Haaland so we should expect to see him in the starting XI for this meeting with Bournemouth.

City will dominate possession and Haaland will spend most of the match in and around the opposition penalty area, where he should get plenty of chances.

The odds in the anytime goalscorer market are pretty short, so a wager on Haaland breaking the deadlock could be worthwhile.

Back Erling Haaland to score first at 7/4 with bet365

How to watch Manchester City vs Bournemouth

• Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
• Date and time: Saturday 4 November 2023, 3pm
• How to watch: Not being shown live in the UK.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on Twitter @GregLeaFootball

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