Manchester Metropolis return to Premier League motion as they welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium.
The Blues have performed three consecutive video games on the street, faring effectively with wins in opposition to Villarreal within the UEFA Champions League and Swansea Metropolis within the Carabao Cup however dropping disappointingly final weekend to Aston Villa within the league.
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Their opponents are having fun with a powerful run of kind, and are available into this fixture two factors forward of Metropolis and in second place, 4 factors behind leaders Arsenal.
Listed below are 5 issues to look ahead to as Metropolis conflict with the Cherries:
Rodri returning to the bench
As a part of his pre-match press convention, Pep Guardiola confirmed that Metropolis have a totally match squad heading into the weekend, which incorporates the health of Erling Haaland and Rodri.
Haaland collided with the submit final week in opposition to Villa, however appears to have shaken off his knock, while Rodri went off injured with a hamstring damage little underneath a month in the past.
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The Spanish midfielder will in all probability not be prepared to begin, however Guardiola was hopeful that he may play some function in opposition to Bournemouth.
Nico Gonzalez has been elegant in his absence, and there’s a spot for him alongside Rodri in midfield, however as soon as the 2024 Ballon D’or winner is up to the mark we are able to anticipate Metropolis to go up one other gear.
A brand new look midfield
However as for now, Metropolis’s midfield trio in opposition to Andoni Iraola’s aspect will in all probability look very totally different to what we’d anticipate 12 months in the past, and even totally different to this fixture final season.
Metropolis performed a midfield three of Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan final season in Kevin de Bruyne’s final residence sport, regardless of having already signed Nico.
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However this season issues are totally different, and I anticipate the 23-year-old to positively begin as he’s been one in all Metropolis’s most indispensable gamers this marketing campaign to this point.
Forward of him Rayan Cherki deserves to maintain his place after a person of the match efficiency together with a aim and an help in opposition to Swansea on Wednesday.
There are just a few gamers that would play with Nico and Cherki, however I anticipate it to be Bernardo Silva or Tijjani Reijnders given each of them have been unnoticed of the squad totally in opposition to Swansea.
I wouldn’t rule it previous each of them taking part in with Bernardo or Cherki on the fitting hand aspect. That is notably harsh on Phil Foden who has began the season effectively, however might be a tremendous choice from the bench.
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The trio of Cherki, Nico and Reijnders didn’t fare effectively in any respect in opposition to Spurs, however they’ve had an additional two and a half months since then to mattress in at Metropolis and can make for a dynamic, thrilling midfield.
Nunes in opposition to Semenyo
Bournemouth’s finest participant, and arguably the perfect within the Premier League to this point this season has been Antoine Semenyo.
The Ghanaian left winger has scored six Premier League targets in 9 video games, and will effectively be on the radar of huge golf equipment for the upcoming January and summer time switch home windows in 2026.
Proper again is a weak spot for Metropolis, with there not being a single recognised choice in that place since Kyle Walker left in January.
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Abdukodir Khusanov has performed a wonderful job there defensively however has lately come again from damage, and doesn’t provide a lot going ahead both, that means I believe he’ll sit this one out.
Rico Lewis is tidy on the ball however hasn’t been nice for a yr now, together with his finest performances coming within the centre of midfield virtually as a quantity ten.
That leaves Matheus Nunes to be the person to maintain Semenyo occupied. The Portuguese worldwide is bodily able to doing so and is an efficient one vs one defender too, however struggles with psychological lapses of focus.
Nunes should maintain these to a minimal if he’s going to subdue top-of-the-line left wingers on the planet, and if he does it’ll considerably minimise the menace posed by the Cherries.
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Metropolis leaning on transitions
In his pre match press convention, Iraola stated he thinks Metropolis are embracing transitions extra typically underneath their new iteration.
Quick ahead two seasons in the past, and managing the sport and making an attempt to keep away from transitions was inevitable, with the likes of Bernardo, Gundogan and Jack Grealish very important members of title successful sides.
However these days, Metropolis play extra to the strengths of Haaland, Omar Marmoush, Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden by taking part in the ball ahead a bit faster.
They’ll naturally concede extra transitions too however with fast, athletic gamers like Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico O’Reilly, Nico and Josko Gvardiol in defence and within the midfield, they’re higher tailored at defending them.
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Guardiola is adapting his system to go well with the sooner paced fashionable soccer, and with the gamers they’ve proper now they’ll trigger any group issues.
Metropolis’s glorious residence file in opposition to Bournemouth
Metropolis have received each single residence match they’ve performed in opposition to Bournemouth since they have been promoted for the primary time in 2015, and it’s typically by a convincing scoreline.
They have been on the dropping aspect in opposition to the Cherries for the primary time on the Vitality Stadium within the league final season – the start of their autumn stoop that successfully dominated them out of the title race.
However apart from that, the Blues at all times appear to discover a option to beat Bournemouth and I anticipate them to have the ability to get the three factors this Sunday.