Pep Guardiola’s team takes an important step in the fight for a spot in the next Champions League and bids farewell to the Belgian star
(foto: Paul Ellis / AFP)
In midfielder De Bruyne‘s farewell to the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City beat Bournemouth this Tuesday (20/5) by 3 to 1, in a match for the 37th round of the Premier League. The goals of the match were scored by Marmoush, Bernardo Silva and Nico González, for City, and Jebbison, for Bournemouth. With the victory, City reached third place, with 68 points, a result that still does not guarantee the team a place in the next Champions League.
Bournemouth remained in 11th place, with 53. For the time being, Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Newcastle and Chelsea will qualify directly for the Champions League. The teams are in the top five of the English Championship, while Aston Villa, with 66 points, is in sixth place, the first outside the European tournament spots and just two points behind Manchester.
The last and decisive round for City will be next Sunday (25/5), when they visit Fulham at 12:00 pm (Brasília time). Bournemouth will host Leicester City on the same day and time.
Egyptian Marmoush opened the scoring with a great goal for City in the 14th minute of the first half. The number 7 made space at the edge of the penalty area and shot hard. The ball had a lot of spin and went into the left corner of Bournemouth’s goal, leaving Kepa with no chance. De Bruyne also missed an unbelievable goal in the first half – the midfielder, who was playing his last game at City’s home ground, received the ball unmarked and unmarked to finish and extend the lead, but ended up hitting the crossbar under the goal.
City extended their lead soon after Evanílson hit the post. Bournemouth’s Brazilian striker ended up hitting Ederson’s left post during a counterattack by the visitors. Bernardo Silva, who scored the second, received the ball from Gundogan and shot hard into Kepa’s corner in the 38th minute. In the second half, the teams had one player sent off each side, Kevin de Bruyne was replaced and Rodri returned. For City, Kovacic pulled Evanilson and ended up receiving a red card, while Lewis Cook fouled Nico González and was punished with a red card.
The Belgian midfielder made his last appearance at City’s home ground and was given a standing ovation when he was substituted, just as the Spanish midfielder was when he returned to the pitch after eight months. Nico González scored City’s third in the 44th minute, and Jebbison scored for Bournemouth in the 51st minute. The striker scored his first goal for City in the Premier League, after a fine individual play and a shot into Kepa’s left corner, which the goalkeeper had no chance of saving. On the other side, the visitors’ number 21 took advantage of a bad pass back and put the ball in the back of the net.
