Manchester City show mark of champions at Bournemouth but doubts remain over title credentials

While the three points for City are certainly welcome, if they really want to win the title this season they will have to play better than this

Manchester City left it very late to finally see off Bournemouth (Getty)

Winning an away game like this, in the seventh of five allocated added minutes, is always said to be the mark of champions. The celebrations from the Manchester City bench and away end when Raheem Sterling’s shot span off Andrew Surman’s heel, up and into the net, were of extreme jubilation and relief.

City fans spilled onto the pitch, Benjamin Mendy was dragged away by stewards, Sergio Aguero was ushered away by a police officer and Sterling was sent off by Mike Dean. Bournemouth were furious that the goal had come from a City free-kick for a foul by Lys Mousset that they disputed.

It was chaos, and it felt far more like the scenes towards the end of a season rather than at the start of one. But while the three points for City are certainly welcome, if they really want to win the title this season they will have to play better than this.

For spells today they were brilliant, not least a long stretch of total dominance in the first half, when they looked like they could score as many as they want. But for other spells they were not, and the whole game showed why there are still serious doubts about their title challenge this season.

The panicky defence in the first 15 minutes, the profligacy in the box, the failure to turn dominance into goals, and the unresolved Aguero situation all pointed to problems that Pep Guardiola needs to solve. Until Sterling’s last-gasp winner pushed those issues into the background, for now at least.

Bournemouth should also be applauded for playing well, and getting within seconds of taking their first ever Premier League point from City. They smothered them at the start, scored a brilliant goal and stayed in the second half. They even had chances to win it. Bournemouth had lost their last four games to City by a combined 15-1 scoreline, so this was certainly progress. But after spending over £200million on players this summer, it could be argued that City should be pulling away.

Daniels opened the scoring in stunning fashion (Getty)

And yet in the first 15 minutes, a long time before Sterling’s winner, Bournemouth were all over them. They pressed City high, disrupting their build-up, Josh King giving Nicolas Otamendi terrible trouble with his movement in behind. City were under serious pressure and soon enough Bournemouth scored, although the way it happened was surprising enough. Vincent Kompany headed out a Dan Gosling cross and it fell to Charlie Daniels, at a narrow angle, on the bounce, and he hit it into the net off the underside of the bar. No goal will be better struck this season.


 Jesus equalised for City as their pressure finally told 
 (Getty)

But that moment was enough to wake City up, and they soon started to play football that Bournemouth could not live with. Bernardo Silva, making his first City start, controlled play along with his namesake David. Benjamin Mendy, also on debut, was a constant threat down the left.

Guardiola had chosen Gabriel Jesus over Sergio Aguero up front and City were trying to slide Jesus in behind the Bournemouth back three. It finally worked on 21 minutes, as Gabriel took a quick free-kick to David Silva, whose perfect pass between Nathan Ake and Tyrone Mings found Gabriel’s run. He slotted in the equaliser.


 Silva was the beating heart of the City side and was subjected to some rough treatment 
 (Getty)

Jesus’ next act was to rob Ake and race away, and why Mike Dean only booked Ake, rather than sending him off, will never be clear. But City were brilliant: Jesus drove one wide from Mendy’s cross, Fernandinho forced a save from Begovic, and Bournemouth were hanging on for half-time.

But when the players came back out, City had lost their rhythm. Bournemouth slowed down the game and started to make chances of their own. Nicolas Otamendi overhit a pass to Fernandinho, Harry Arter stole in and Josh King hit the post. City were frustrated and Guardiola and Howe had to be separated after a dispute over returning the ball following a stoppage.


 Sterling scored the winner before being given his marching orders 
 (Getty)

Guardiola threw on Aguero and then Leroy Sane but it did not feel like enough. City had half chances from the edge of the box but their best was an Otamendi header from a corner which hit the post. It all felt like a wasted day for City, and a worrying one, before Sterling gathered Danilo’s cross and hit his hopeful shot into Surman, lying on the ground. Any doubts can be forgotten for a while.

Bournemouth (3-5-2) Begovic; Cook, Ake, Mings; Smith, Gosling, Surman, Arter, Daniels; King, Defoe (Afobe, 72) (Mousset, 90)

City (4-3-3) Ederson; Danilo, Kompany, Otamendi, Mendy; D. Silva (Stones, 90), Fernandinho, De Bruyne; B. Silva (Aguero, 65), Jesus (Sane, 82), Sterling