Manchester City vs Bournemouth Preview – prediction, team news, lineups | Premier League 2026-27

The Cherries have only secured one win in their 26 encounters against the Cityzens!

Manchester City will go head-to-head against AFC Bournemouth for their matchweek 1 fixture of the Premier League 2026-27 campaign. These sides will collide at the Etihad Stadium.

Enzo Maresca’s men are coming in after facing a brutal 0- 3 loss against Arsenal in the FA Community Shield clash. Despite having the ball with them for the majority of the time, the Cityzens failed to score a goal and their performance in the backline was underwhelming.

Manchester City will need a better approach in the final third, or it is going to be a disastrous campaign for them. Under the new manager, this will be their first EPL game and it is going to be interesting to watch them perform.

The Marco Rose-led side was a part of three pre-season games. They came up with mixed performances. The Cherries first secured a 4-1 win against FC St. Pauli. They were then held to a 2-2 draw by Real Betis and faced a 1-2 loss against Mainz 05 in their last club friendly contest.

Away from home, AFC Bournemouth are going to face tough competition and looking at their history of performances against Man City, they will have to do a lot of hard work.

Kick-off:

• Location: Manchester, England
• Stadium: Etihad Stadium
• Date: Sunday, August 23
• Kick-off time: 06:30 PM IST/ 01:00 PM GMT/ 08:30 AM ET/ 05:30 AM PT
• Referee: Jarred Gillett
• VAR: In Use

Players to Watch

Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)

The 26-year-old will have an important role to play in the final third for Manchester City. He will be up against his former club and it can become a high-pressure game for him. Antoine Semenyo was the top player for the Cityzens in the final third and will be looking to step up his game now. He can be deployed on either of the flanks and is going to be a constant threat to the visitors.

Evanilson (Bournemouth)

Evanilson was the sole goal scorer for AFC Bournemouth in their 1-2 loss against Mainz 05. He scored six goals during the last Premier League campaign and will be eager to put in strong performances this time around. Against Man City’s defence, it will not be an easy task for the 26-year-old as he is going to be the sole striker.

Match Facts

• Manchester City won two of their last three pre-season matches.
• Bournemouth only won one of their last three club friendlies.
• The Cityzens have 22 victories to their name in their 26 meetings with the Cherries.

Betting Tips & Odds

• Man City to win @1/2 Unibet
• Goals under 3.5 @3/4 William Hill
• Erling Haaland to score @7/10 BetVictor

Injury and Team News

For Manchester City, Jeremy Doku is going to sit out due to a recent calf injury. Savinho & Marmoush are linked with a transfer to Tottenham. Matheus Nunes is back in training.

Julian Araujo and Junior Kroupi are not going to be in action for AFC Bournemouth. They are injured. Ryan Christie is suspended. Valijko Milosavljevic, Tyler Adams, Amine Adli and David Brooks are not yet confirmed to be part of the squad. They lack fitness.

Head-to-Head

Matches Played: 26

Man City(wins): 22

Bournemouth (wins): 1

Draws: 3

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City predicted XI (4-2-3-1)

Donnarumma (GK); Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Anderson, Kovacic; Cherki, Foden, Semenyo; Haaland

Bournemouth predicted XI (4-2-3-1)

Petrovic (GK); Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson

Match Prediction

Enzo Maresca have a big test to pass here. The Cityzens at home with a quality squad are going to have a slight edge. The Cherries will be coming in with a strong fight for the hosts.

Manchester City are likely to come out on top and secure a win against Bournemouth in their opening Premier League 2026-27 game.

Prediction: Man City 2-1 Bournemouth

Telecast Details

India: JioHotstar, Star Sports Network

UK: Sky Sports

USA: NBC Sports, Universo

Nigeria: SuperSport, Canal+

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