Prediction and odds for the game: Manchester City (1/8) v Bournemouth (14/1)
We are backing Raheem Sterling to be an anytime goalscorer at evens
When: Wednesday, 15th July 2020, Kick-off 18:00
Where: The Etihad Stadium
On Wednesday night, Manchester City look to continue their recent good run of form when they host relegation-threatened Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City
The Citizens received a boost on Monday morning, as CAS overturned their European ban for next season. City did receive a £10million fine, but that is unlikely to make a dent in the club’s massive coffers.
On the pitch, Pep Guardiola’s team have recorded back-to-back 5-0 victories against Newcastle and Brighton. The victories have done very little to put a dent in the gap between City and champions Liverpool, which still stands at 21 points.
The Citizens have won five of their last seven Premier League matches, with their two losses both coming away from home. Guardiola’s team has kept clean sheets in all five of their recent victories, while also scoring at least three goals in all the victories.
City have turned the Etihad stadium into a fortress once again, as the Citizens are unbeaten in nine home league matches, having recorded eight wins. They have also scored at least two goals in nine recent unbeaten league matches.
Bournemouth
The Cherries are in deep trouble, as they are currently 18th place in the table, three points from safety. One win in 11 top-flight games is not great form for any team.
There have however been some positive signs of life of late, as they have taken four points from a possible six. A shock 4-1 home win over ten-man Leicester last time out ended a ten-game winless run for Eddie Howe’s team in the top-flight.
Bournemouth have become renowned as a team who are generous when it comes to defending. However, their recent defensive record of one clean sheet in their previous 18 Premier League outings is a shocking one. It seems unlikely that their poor defensive record will improve in Manchester with City’s recent scoring rate.
The Cherries have an awful recent away record in the Premier League, losing their last eight matches on their travels. Unsurprisingly, the visitors have suffered badly from defensive issues of late, as they have conceded at least two goals in six of their previous eight matches on the road. The poor defensive displays have contributed to over 2.5 goals scored in four of their last five away games in the league.
Conclusion
While Bournemouth have improved of late, we cannot see anything other than a Manchester City victory in this clash. We are not backing the obvious home win, instead focussing on the goals market. One bet we fancy is Raheem Sterling to be an anytime scorer. The England star has scored five times in his last four league games for City. The other bet we are backing is over 3.5 goals, simply due to City’s firepower and Bournemouth’s woeful recent defensive record on their travels.
Verdict: We are backing Raheem Sterling to score anytime at evens and/or over 3.5 goals scored at odds of 8/11. (All odds are taken from Bet365).
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Can Bournemouth cause a shock at the Etihad Stadium?
