Raheem Sterling maintains Manchester City's winning ways over Bournemouth despite Gabriel Jesus injury
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 2: Goals from Sterling and Sergio Aguero secured all three points for Pep Guardiola's men but Gabriel Jesus' injury leaves the visitors with cause for concern
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Your support makes all the difference.If anyone is going to push Chelsea for the title, it will be Manchester City. They are unlikely to do it, of course, and are still eight points behind Antonio Conte’s big blue juggernaut with just 13 games left. But City, on this evidence, are easily the second best team in the country.
This was City’s fourth win in a row, an impressing 2-0 seeing-off of a competitive energetic Bournemouth side in the bitterest coastal cold. Maybe they did not play quite as well as in their recent wins at Selhurst Park and the London Stadium. But at this stage of the season no-one is turning their nose up at an away win.
City did not just have to overcome Bournemouth but the disruption of Gabriel Jesus, their new talisman, limping off after just 14 minutes. He injured his foot and will be assessed on Tuesday, although his injury did open up the door to Sergio Aguero, not a bad Plan B, and the man who helped to deliver the second goal, via a deflection off Tyrone Mings.
But even without Gabriel City still cut through Bournemouth, creating enough chances to win the game by a distance. It was all orchestrated by David Silva, performing at his brilliant best, playing as well as he ever has done this season. He controlled the whole game, seeing space, moving into it, always two steps ahead of every Bournemouth opponent. He was roared off by the City fans at the end and grabbed in a hug by Pep Guardiola, clearly still at 31 playing as well as he ever has, which after his career is saying something.
After City’s early rhythm was disrupted by Bournemouth’s pressing and the injury to Gabriel, it was Silva who took control of the game and made sure City stayed on top.
Pep Guardiola wanted Leroy Sane running at Adam Smith, and David Silva’s job was to give Sane the ball. The third time he did it, Smith slipped and Sane pulled the ball back to Raheem Sterling. He took a touch but Cook read his shot, diving to deflect it onto the post. The next time City tried that move they scored. Again, Silva found Sane, bursting forward. His low cross hit Cook and bounced up to the far post. Sterling read it fastest, putting the ball in before anyone else could react.
Bournemouth thought they had hit straight back when Josh King whipped in Jordon Ibe’s cross only for Neil Swarbrick to belatedly flag for a foul by King on Stones which was far from obvious in real-time.
Bournemouth continued to pin City back at the start of the second half and with Benik Afobe now up front alongside King, they had real presence to their press. City were forced to defend, which they do not like doing, while they hoped for a second on the break.
Just when City were starting to get anxious, when Willy Caballero had to save from Harry Arter, they finally scored their second.
After so much joy with Sane running at Smith, this time it was Sterling, one on one with the right back, beating him down to the by-line with a brilliant stepover. Sterling pulled the ball back to the near post where Aguero and Tyrone Mings slid for it, jointly diverting the ball into the net. It was an own goal, although Aguero celebrated with the enthusiasm of a man who had proven his value to the team once again.
That was the end of the game and City’s only regret is that they did not add a deserved third when they started to turn the screw on a tiring Bournemouth in the final 10 minutes. Sane blasted one against the bar and then ran in behind zipping his shot just wide. He should have scored a goal given how well he played but that can wait. City take the points back to Manchester, trying to keep the pressure on Chelsea if they can.
AFC Bournemouth (4-1-4-1): Boruc; Smith, Francis (Mings, 22), Cook, Daniels; Surman; Ibe, Wilshere (Afobe, 45), Arter, Fraser; King.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Caballero; Sagna, Stones, Kolarov, Fernandinho; De Bruyne, Toure, Silva; Sterling, Gabriel (Aguero, 14), Sane.
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