(Photo by Nigel Roddis / AFP)

Manchester City v Bournemouth Odds, Preview and Tips

Game time & date: 1500 BST, Saturday August 13
Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Last result between the two: City 2-1 Bournemouth, League Cup, September 2020
Broadcast: N/A

Defending Premier League champions Manchester City made a flying start to the new season with a 2-0 win at West Ham last week, while promoted Bournemouth opened the campaign by beating Aston Villa.

City dominate the head-to-head record between the two sides – the last time Bournemouth avoided defeat in this fixture was all the way back in 1999. They lost to City twice en route to relegation in the 2019-20 season. City have won 10 out of 10 against Bournemouth in the Premier League. With Liverpool having already dropped points, City will be keen to maintain their 100% record for as long as possible.

City immediately in the groove

City were excellent at West Ham on Sunday with new star striker Erling Haaland scoring both goals. Haaland will make his home debut in this one and he looks a prime Golden Boot contender though it is likely his adaptation to life in the Premier League will not always be as easy as he made it look last week.

That said, he will want to find the net in front of his new home fans and the 15/8 with Bet365 for Haaland to score first with City taking all the points is solid value for a way to back the strong favourites.

Ex-Cherries defender Nathan Ake could start again this weekend with Aymeric Laporte ruled out injured. City have a question mark over Bernardo Silva’s place as the playmaker is a transfer target for Barcelona.

City have beaten Bournemouth 10 times out of 10 in the Premier League era, but they have conceded a goal in four of the past five meetings between the sides. The 9/4 with Bet365 for City/BTTS in Saturday’s game at the Etihad is therefore an intriguing option and with the last two meetings both ending in a 2-1 win to City, the Bet365 price of 14/1 on it becoming three in a row is well worthy of consideration too.

Bournemouth face testing trip

After not much transfer activity over the summer, Bournemouth were tipped for a season of struggle but Scott Parker’s side made a winning start last weekend so they will make the trip north full of confidence.

Realistically, however, there should be a gulf in class between the sides even though Bournemouth won 12 times on the road in the Championship last season. City tend to make light work of games against the promoted sides and while Parker could set his team up defensively, keeping the champions out is tough.

Haaland won and converted a penalty last week and his pace will pose problems for defenders all season, so the 2/1 on City to score from the spot with Bet365 is a strong choice for the game.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth Odds & Predictions:

The head-to-head record makes damning viewing for Bournemouth, and it is rare that Manchester City drop points against newly promoted sides, which explains why they are such a short price for Saturday.

There are a few ways to find value, though, such as taking Haaland to score first in a City win at 15/8 with Bet365, while the 2/1 for City to score from the penalty spot again is another option that stands out.

Bournemouth have scored in four of their past five games against City in all competitions, so 14-1 on City to win 2-1 is worth a look. Adding Haaland to score anytime in a 2-1-win bumps it up to 20/1 at Bet365.

Author: Jamie Smith