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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 11
Manchester City v Bournemouth
Etihad Stadium
Manchester, England
Saturday, 4 November 2023
Kick-off is at 17h00
Manchester City will be targeting their ninth
Premier League win of the season when they welcome struggling Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, November 4.
The Citizens (3rd) stayed in touch with league leaders Tottenham by beating Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on October 29 to maintain the two-point gap to the summit.
It was their second consecutive victory since suffering back-to-back defeats against Wolves and Arsenal, which allowed Spurs and the Gunners to go above them in the table.
The North London duo also won on matchday 10 to keep their unbeaten records intact this term, while Liverpool (4th) and Aston Villa (5th) triumphed as well to trail City by one and two points respectively.
Image copyright: Getty Images
The Cherries finally got their campaign up and running with a 2-1 victory over Burnley at the Vitality Stadium, which halted a nine-match winless start to proceedings.
Andoni Iraola's side managed to climb out of the relegation zone up to 17th place, two points clear of the Clarets (19th) after Luton (18th) and Sheffield United (20th) were also beaten on matchday 10.
Erling Haaland continues to lead the way with goals in the top flight following his brace against the Red Devils. The Norwegian ace, who scored his first hat-trick of the season against Fulham, was denied another three-goal haul by an outstanding save from Andre Onana, although he's still top of the scoring charts with 11 goals from just 10 appearances.
Antoine Semenyo was brought back into the starting line-up against Burnley after spending the previous two games on the bench and he repaid his manager's faith by equalising with a clinical finish on his weaker left foot. The Ghanaian should also have had an assist after he played a sumptuous low cross to an unmarked Marcus Tavernier at the back post, only for the midfielder to miss the target from a few yards out.
Iraola admitted it was crucial to pick up maximum points against one of their relegation rivals and praised the fighting spirit of his players to come back from behind on the south coast.
"We're relieved because we know we needed to win this one. It was a must-win for us playing against a team in a similar situation.
"We needed this first win, at home, with the help of the supporters. Especially after conceding the first goal, I think the players showed personality."
City manager reserved special praise for Bernardo Silva, who slotted seamlessly into the false-9 role at Old Trafford after previously being asked to play in defensive midfield earlier this month in the absence of Rodri.
"He doesn't have any tattoos or a nice car - he is an incredible player for us," Guardiola said. "He loves to play at Old Trafford. He's played as false 9 in the past and he has the ability to make a lot of passes.
"He is so intelligent - everyone loves him, and it was another exceptional performance. He's one of the best players I've ever seen in my life. I've trained a lot and he's one of the best."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Man City - 5
Bournemouth - 0
Draws - 0
Premier League Matchday 11 fixtures:
Saturday, November 4
14h30: Fulham v Manchester United
17h00: Brentford v West Ham United
17h00: Burnley v Crystal Palace
17h00: Everton v Brighton & Hove Albion
17h00: Manchester City v Bournemouth
17h00: Sheffield United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
19h30: Newcastle United v Arsenal
Sunday, November 5
16h00: Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa
18h30: Luton Town v Liverpool
Monday, November 6
22h00: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
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