David Silva-inspired Man City cling onto victory against valiant Bournemouth

Man City 2-1 Bournemouth: David Brooks’ late goal caused real panic, but the Cherries’ efforts were ultimately in vain

If Bournemouth lose their Premier League status over the course of the next week or so, they will look back to their sustained spell of pressure midway through the first half at the Etihad – when it briefly looked as though they may cancel out David Silva’s sublime opening goal for Manchester City – and wonder what might have been.

Instead, moments after Dominic Solanke turned inside the six-yard box and saw a goal-bound shot blocked, Gabriel Jesus doubled the hosts’ lead at the other end of the pitch. David Brooks, a former City schoolboy, reduced the arrears with two minutes of normal time remaining but it was too late for Eddie Howe’s defiant, spirited but defeated players.

At least the final scoreline was merely 2-1. With 17th-place Watford due to play City in the penultimate round of fixtures next Tuesday, and a relatively similar goal difference between them and Bournemouth, it is not inconceivable that the fate of both clubs will be decided by whoever avoids the bigger thrashing at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s side.

Howe will nevertheless rue missing this chance to pick up another surprising three points after Sunday’s crucial win over Leicester. Victory or even a creditable draw may have felt like an unrealistic prospect at kick-off, but this ever-so-slightly weakened City side were far from their usual best. It was almost as if they had already celebrated their biggest victory of the season earlier this week.

Any Bournemouth hopes of a favourable result appeared to be extinguished as early as the sixth minute by Silva’s free-kick. From the inside-right channel, the City captain whipped towards the near post and clipped the underside of Aaron Ramsdale’s crossbar, the ball bouncing down and across the goal-line. It could prove to be his last Etihad goal, with only two home games remaining until his departure. Then again, the same was said after a similarly exquisite free-kick against Newcastle United last week.

David Silva put City ahead with a fabulous free-kick (Getty)

And yet after that breakthrough, it was not hard to tell which team had little on the line and which had everything to play for. Bournemouth grew in confidence as City lulled and shortly after the half-hour mark, they came close to equalising several times. Ederson had wowed even City’s backroom staff with his range of passing in the early stages, though his save from a Junior Stanislas free-kick – pushing the ball against the post, against his head then out for a corner – was equally impressive.

Solanke knew little about his deflection on a Dan Gosling cross which flew wide of the far post shortly after, but he will have laid his head on the pillow last night thinking about the chance which followed a few minutes later. After receiving Gosling’s cut-back, he spun to find himself with a clear sight of goal, only for Nicolas Otamendi’s foot to block. Two minutes later, in the other penalty area, Jesus nutmegged Jack Stacey, rounded Steve Cook and found the far corner.

Despite being two down at the break, Bournemouth had in fact registered more shots on goal than City. Though it was partly a result of Silva’s free-kick establishing such an early lead, it was also evidence of how well Howe’s side were playing and they restarted with the same resolve and resistance. Joshua King believed he had halved City’s lead on the hour mark when, after Stanislas’s excellent work down the right, he converted at the far post.

David Brooks scored late on for Bournemouth (PA)

The flag went up, and from the sideline King had looked perhaps a yard or so offside, but the subsequent VAR review revealed that it was the most marginal of calls. King’s left boot had strayed an inch beyond John Stones’s heel. If the Bournemouth forward was a shoe size smaller, it would have surely counted.

Still Bournemouth came in search of their first-ever top-flight point against City or at least a goal. Brooks, one of a raft of second-half substitutes, eventually found it, tapping in past Ederson after Wilson cut-back on a counter-attack. Wilson himself had the best of the opportunities to complete the comeback, but after Eric Garcia attempted to clear Brooks’ cross with a backheel, Howe’s top scorer turned the rebound wide. Bournemouth had regained that first-half momentum again, but too late to make a difference.