Manchester City vs. Bournemouth Prediction: Pep Guardiola’s Side with Work to Do

• Manchester City are battling for a top-five finish in the Premier League

• Bournemouth are now unlikely to qualify for European competition

• Who will triumph in this rearranged fixture at the Etihad Stadium?

Manchester City vs. Bournemouth Odds

The odds for Manchester City vs. Bournemouth can be found in the odds table below. The odds have been taken from the bet365 sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN365 when signing up and get $150 in bonus bets regardless of the outcome when betting just $5.

Manchester City vs. Bournemouth Pick

Go for a Manchester City win by one goal. Bournemouth will push Pep Guardiola’s team, but the hosts should find a way through.

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Manchester City Must Win Twice to Guarantee Top-Five Finish

On Saturday, Manchester City had the chance to salvage something tangible from an otherwise disappointing season. Having beaten Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals of the FA Cup last month, they were favourites to lift the trophy at the expense of Crystal Palace. Instead, their opponents won their first major tournament in the club’s 120-year history.

City started the match strongly but conceded on Palace’s first real foray forward. A sweeping move culminated in Daniel Munoz picking out Ebere Eze, who finished expertly on the volley. City had chances thereafter - none bigger than an Omar Marmoush penalty - but they could not find a way past Dean Henderson in the Palace goal.

Henderson was fortunate to avoid a red card for a handball outside his penalty area in the first half, but he was excellent from that point on. Palace in general defended with diligence and discipline to keep City at bay for more than 100 minutes including stoppage time. While the Londoners celebrated a first ever trophy, City were left to rue another below-par display.

It is now guaranteed that City will end the campaign empty-handed for the first time since 2016/17, which was Guardiola’s debut season in charge. Their target now is more modest than usual: Champions League qualification, for which a top-five finish is required.

City are sixth at present, a point behind the three sides above them (Newcastle United, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest). Their fate is in their own hands: if they beat Bournemouth on Tuesday and Fulham this weekend, they will be in the Champions League in 2025/26. 

At the same time, one slip-up could be fatal. A loss here, for example, would leave City relying on results elsewhere on the final day. Needless to say, that is a situation that Guardiola and co. desperately want to avoid.

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Bournemouth Must Keep Pushing Until End of the Season

Crystal Palace’s victory over Manchester City was celebrated by most neutrals as a triumph for the underdog. However, Bournemouth fans were among the select few who were cheering on City. That is because of the implications the FA Cup final had on European qualification. 

A City win would have meant Conference League qualification for the eighth-place finisher in the Premier League. However, Palace’s victory changed all that. The Eagles will be in the Europa League next term, with a seventh-place finish now required for the Conference League.

Except in one eventuality, that is. If Chelsea were to win this season’s edition of the Conference League and finish sixth or seventh, then the eighth-place side would qualify for Europe’s tertiary tournament.

All of which means Bournemouth are unlikely to make it into continental competition for the first time, although the fact it remains a possibility means they must go all-out for eighth place. Andoni Iraola’s mean are two points adrift at present, but Tuesday’s contest is a game in hand.

Even if Bournemouth do not make it into the Conference League, this has been a terrific season for the south coast side. A top-half finish is a distinct possibility, while the Cherries have played some thrilling soccer along the way. Now they are aiming to end the campaign on a high, starting with a first ever away win against City.

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Manchester City Will Not Have Everything Their Own Way

Guardiola understandably cut a frustrated figure after watching his side’s loss at Wembley, but he emphasised afterwards how important it is for his team to bounce back as quickly as possible.

“We have to come back,” he said. “We have to live it. It’s better to play against Bournemouth having won the FA Cup because winning helps winning but now we have to prove how strong we are with our people.

“For Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, it’s important for all of us to be there [in the Champions League]. It’s massive. But now it’s not the time to talk to the players much. We will recover and then prepare for the game.”

City will be on a downer after Saturday and it is difficult to envisage them winning this one comfortably. Bournemouth are tricky opponents and they have an excellent away record: only three Premier League teams have collected more points on their travels this season.

That does not mean Bournemouth will come out on top here, though. They may well make a fast start, but it will be hard for the Cherries to get the better of City on their own patch over 90 minutes. The hosts deserve to be favorites. 

It could be a tight game, though, with relatively little between the two teams in their penultimate fixture of 2024/25. Go for a City win by a one-goal margin on Tuesday.

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How to Watch Manchester City vs. Bournemouth

• Teams: Manchester City vs. Bournemouth

• Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England

• Date and Time: Tuesday, 20 May 2025, 3:00 PM ET 

• How to Watch: USA Network