Manchester City secured a vital 3-1 victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday, keeping their Champions League hopes alive and providing a fitting farewell to Kevin De Bruyne in his final home match for the club. Goals from Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva, and Nico Gonzalez propelled City into third place in the Premier League standings, with one match remaining in the season.
According to Agence France-Presse, this win was crucial as it pushed City closer to their goal of securing a top-five finish.
The match was an emotional affair, as the club bid farewell to De Bruyne after a decade of service. The Belgian midfielder, who has been integral to City’s success, was honored with a special tribute before the match, including a mosaic and a road named in his honor at the club’s training ground. De Bruyne was greeted with a massive “King Kev” banner as he led the teams out onto the pitch. Despite missing a chance to score himself, De Bruyne’s influence on the team remained palpable throughout the game.
” I want to bring joy to people, play offensive football, be creative, that is what I am on the pitch and I want to have fun,” De Bruyne said in his post-match remarks. “I think we had a lot of fun over the 10 years.”
Omar Marmoush opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort off the inside of the post in the 14th minute. The forward, who had missed a penalty in City’s FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace three days earlier, made amends in style. De Bruyne’s near miss in the first half—where he shot over from close range—was a rare mistake from the usually clinical midfielder. However, City doubled their advantage just before halftime when Ilkay Gundogan played a clever pass to Bernardo Silva, who finished coolly at the near post.
The game turned more dramatic in the second half after Mateo Kovacic received a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. However, Bournemouth’s hopes of a comeback were dashed just minutes later when Lewis Cook was also sent off for a reckless challenge on Gonzalez. As tensions ran high, the return of Rodri from a long-term knee injury provided a boost for City fans. The Spanish midfielder made a key contribution by curling in his first Premier League goal of the season in the 89th minute to restore City’s two-goal advantage.
In the dying moments of the match, Daniel Jebbison scored a consolation goal for Bournemouth, but it was too little too late. The result means that City now only need a point in their final match against Fulham on Sunday to secure a top-five finish, thanks to their superior goal difference over sixth-placed Aston Villa.
The victory was a morale booster for City after their disappointing FA Cup final loss. Manager Pep Guardiola, who had spoken about the emotional significance of De Bruyne’s departure, praised his long-time star for his contributions over the years. “We got to remember how nice it has been these 10 years,” said Guardiola. “He got a lot of love from all the people who love this club.”
As the season draws to a close, City are on the verge of securing their place in next season’s Champions League, with a crucial match against Fulham ahead.
Article updated 3 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
