Manchester Metropolis’s 32-match unbeaten run within the Premier League got here to an shuddering finish in a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday as Liverpool took full benefit to climb to the highest of the desk.
Pep Guardiola’s males had not misplaced within the league since their defeat to Aston Villa on December 6 final yr however from the primary moments on the south coast Andoni Iraola’s aspect regarded a match for them.
The Cherries struck in every half by means of Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson to take a agency grip on the match.
It checked out instances as if Bournemouth would run away from Metropolis. Marcus Tavernier struck a submit at 2-0 to go away the guests clinging on by their fingertips, earlier than Josko Gvardiol arrange a nervous end when he headed in Ilkay Gundogan’s cross.
Guardiola stated the champions had been scuffling with their prolonged damage checklist.
“It’s what it’s. Now we have few gamers with a whole lot of minutes and a whole lot of gamers with no minutes — the stability is a bit uncomfortable,” he advised the BBC.
“We performed good in opposition to Spurs however in the present day we couldn’t deal with their depth that that they had and that is why we misplaced the sport.”
A depleted Metropolis had been crushed for the primary time this season in any competitors within the League Cup in opposition to Tottenham in midweek.
Guardiola had advised his gamers they would wish to play by means of the ache and there have been begins for Gvardiol, Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji, all of whom had been doubts.
Kevin De Bruyne was match sufficient just for the bench the place he was flanked by three youngsters with no Premier League look between them.
John Stones and Ruben Dias had been absent from the squad completely and Metropolis might have used the central defensive pair throughout a primary 20 minutes through which Bournemouth attacked fearlessly.
The guests fell behind within the ninth minute when Milos Kerkez reduce the ball again to Semenyo who, having trodden on the ball in his haste to shoot, recovered to show Gvardiol and angle a end vast of Ederson.
Kerkez produced an excellent block sort out on Bernardo Silva to protect the lead then Erling Haaland dragged Metropolis’s finest likelihood of the primary half vast.
Semenyo and Justin Kluivert had been a relentless menace to the guests’ defence.
The excellent Kerkez was once more the architect of the second purpose, rocketing away from Walker down the left and crossing to the place Ake and Gvardiol had deserted Evanilson within the center, giving the Brazilian room to choose his nook.
Tavernier fired in opposition to the within of the submit as Bournemouth threatened to overwhelm Metropolis.
Gvardiol’s header provided late hope and Metropolis may need levelled had Mark Travers not crushed Haaland’s effort off the road in stoppage time.
Phil Foden then fired inches vast with the ultimate kick as Bournemouth held on.
Metropolis are two factors behind Liverpool, who got here from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 at Anfield however third-placed Arsenal misplaced 1-0 at Newcastle.
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