Manchester City vs. Bournemouth: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Manchester City battered Bournemouth 5-1 and maintained their two-point lead over Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table.
In an entertaining game, Raheem Sterling scored three goals and Wilfried Bony bagged two, as City prepared for their vital midweek Champions League game against Sevilla in style.
The Blues have now scored 11 goals in their last two league matches, with Manuel Pellegrini's free-flowing approach paying dividends.
Here are the winners and losers from the game at the Etihad.
Winner: Raheem Sterling
1 of 6
The City winger, signed from Liverpool in the summer for a fee which could rise to £49 million, scored three goals and could easily have had more.
Sterling is often criticised for showing a lack of composure in front of goal, but his second, which saw City go 3-1 up, demonstrated remarkable coolness, putting three Bournemouth defenders on the floor before slotting home.
City signed Sterling knowing that, at 20, there are very few players of his age who can match his ability. He’s developing superbly and will be a very important player for City in years to come.
Huge applause inside the Etihad greeted his substitution in the 77th minute, and he was later named the Man of the Match inside the stadium.
Loser: Adam Federici
2 of 6
The former Reading goalkeeper, Adam Federici, wasn’t supposed to start this game, but an injury to Artur Boruc in the warm-up meant the Australian was drafted in at the last minute. It was far from ideal preparation, but his display was poor.
He made one exceptional save to tip Kevin De Bruyne’s long-range effort onto the post, but that one stunning stop aside, he struggled to provide a commanding presence.
His worst moment came when he spilled a straightforward catch into the path of Wilfried Bony, who tapped home from a few yards out.
This was not a good day for the Bournemouth 'keeper.
Winner: Wilfried Bony
3 of 6
This wasn’t the all-round display City crave from Wilfried Bony, but two goals and an assist should improve his confidence at a vital stage in his Blues career.
With Sergio Aguero set to spend a month on the sidelines, Bony knows this is his chance to shine after a difficult few months since signing from Swansea back in January.
His first was a tap-in after Federici's spill, but his second was superb. Jesus Navas played the ball into the box, and the Ivorian rolled Steve Cook before finishing neatly.
He needs to use this as a catalyst for better and more consistent form.
Loser: Eddie Howe
4 of 6
Eddie Howe has done a superb job in getting Bournmouth to the Premier League, and his recent contract extension was greeted with positivity across the Cherries’ fanbase.
In this game, though, he was perhaps naïve tactically. Sides have success against City when they deny them space, suffocating their midfield in order to stop City playing.
Bournemouth were way too open and attacking and paid the price.
He had to cope with a number of injuries to key players and lost his goalkeeper moments before the game, but Bournemouth needed to be tighter if they had any chance of leaving Manchester with something from the game.
Winner: Kevin De Bruyne
5 of 6
What a start to life at City it’s been for Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian, 24, has not just eased himself into the side, he’s barged the door down and stamped his authority already.
His decision-making is superb. He moves around the pitch demanding the ball from his teammates and consistently creates chances because of the quality of his passing.
He may not have scored in this one, but his impact should not be underplayed. He was outstanding once again.
Loser: Mike Dean
6 of 6
Referee Mike Dean had a largely trouble-free afternoon, with few important decisions to make, but missing a clear Bournemouth penalty in the opening few minutes when Nicolas Otamendi fouled Dan Gosling won’t have impressed Howe.
Teams coming to the Etihad need decisions to go their way, and if Bournemouth had got their noses in front, it could have been a more difficult afternoon for City than it turned out. As it was, Dean failed to spot the infringement, and soon after City were ahead.
