Prediction: Manchester City vs Bournemouth

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 6/10

Bookmaker: Betfair

Looking to swiftly move past their latest Wembley disappointment, Manchester City host their final home fixture of the season on Tuesday evening, as Bournemouth visit for a Premier League clash.

Pep Guardiola’s side are reeling from their FA Cup hopes being dashed in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, while the Cherries still hold a slim chance of making it into the Conference League.

Manchester City

Man City were left ruing both their own lack of cutting edge and a contentious VAR call in the capital, where Palace lifted their first-ever major trophy under the Wembley arch.

From Eberechi Eze’s brilliant goal, to Dean Henderson’s penalty stop against Omar Marmoush, and a debatable handball incident – where Palace’s keeper appeared to clearly handle the ball from Erling Haaland’s feet outside the area but avoided a red card – a frantic first half in Saturday’s FA Cup final gave way to a quiet second, perfectly suiting the Eagles.

As the fallout from that painful 1-0 defeat lingers, Man City will finish the 2024/25 season with only the Community Shield added to their collection – another signal that Guardiola’s golden era is gradually, and inevitably, drawing to a close.

The deposed Premier League holders could still suffer a worse fate if they fall short of the top five, but sitting just a point behind both Aston Villa and Chelsea – with a game in hand over each and a superior goal difference – their Champions League hopes remain in their own grasp.

Last weekend’s similarly frustrating 0-0 draw with Southampton did City no favours, but Guardiola’s men can still take pride in winning their last four Premier League games at the Etihad and triumphing in all eight of their most recent final home fixtures of the season.

Team News

City suffered another setback before the FA Cup final, losing midfielder Mateo Kovacic to a knock, with the Croatian ing Rodri (ACL), Nathan Ake (ankle), Oscar Bobb (thigh), and John Stones (thigh) on the injury list; his status for Tuesday remains uncertain.

Kevin De Bruyne may have underwhelmed in his final appearance in a cup final for City, but the departing legend is expected to return to the starting lineup for his last home match in a sky blue shirt, possibly making way in the second half for a fitting Etihad farewell.

Elsewhere, Guardiola is likely to rotate, with Matheus Nunes, Nico Gonzalez, and Phil Foden all pushing for starting spots, while Rico Lewis and James McAtee could also feature after both were surprisingly left out of the Wembley squad.

Bournemouth

Both Bournemouth and City fans might have been waving Man City scarves during the FA Cup final, as a win for Guardiola’s side combined with Champions League qualification would have guaranteed eighth place a spot in the Conference League.

However, one route to Europe still exists for Bournemouth: if Chelsea defeat Real Betis in this season’s Conference League final and end up seventh, or if the Blues claim sixth and Newcastle United finish seventh, eighth place would still secure European qualification.

The Cherries could therefore still dream of continental football on the South Coast, though just three wins from their past 13 games isn’t exactly Europe-worthy form, and last weekend’s frustrating 1-0 loss at home to 10-man Aston Villa ended their top-seven hopes.

Andoni Iraola’s men also need both Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion to falter in their final two matches to stay in contention, but before what is usually a daunting visit to the Etihad, their run of just one loss from 13 away games offers slight encouragement.

A 2-1 home win over Man City back in November serves as another boost, but Guardiola’s side returned the favour with the same score in the FA Cup quarterfinals and have a flawless Premier League home record versus Bournemouth, winning all seven encounters.

Team News

Iraola shares Guardiola’s midfield headaches, as Bournemouth youngster Alex Scott sustained a gruesome facial injury after taking an elbow from Villa’s Tyrone Mings last weekend; he has since undergone surgery for a broken jaw and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Scott s long-term injury cases Enes Unal (knee) and Ryan Christie (groin) on the sidelines, and Iraola has also ruled out Dango Ouattara (adductor) and Luis Sinisterra (thigh) for the rest of the campaign.

Fortunately for Iraola, Justin Kluivert is a ready replacement for the injured Scott in attacking midfield; the Dutchman’s comeback should allow Lewis Cook to drop deeper and partner Tyler Adams, with Kluivert operating behind Evanilson, who boasts five goals in his last five Premier League away appearances.

At the back, Dean Huijsen’s £50million switch to Real Madrid has now been confirmed, but he is still expected to start in defence for the visitors in what should be his penultimate outing.

Conclusion

Both sides need the points as the end of the campaign approaches, but neither have shown good form recently. Bournemouth may just do enough to frustrate Guardiola’s team further, and a draw, however unsatisfactory for either side, could be on the cards here. But both teams should be able to hit the back of the opposition net once at least.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 6/10

Bookmaker: Betfair