Taking a statistical look at Bournemouth ahead of the first game of the new Premier League season…
How can I watch City v Bournemouth on TV?We host the Cherries in a 14:00 (UK) kick-off on Sunday as welcome in the 2026/27 league campaign.
As always, we’ll have extensive coverage on mancity.com and our official app with a live City-centric show and text updates as the day goes on.
With the help of Opta data, we reflect on the first challenge of the 38 that lie in wait…
2025/26 formBournemouth enjoyed their best league season ever last time out with 57 points from 38 games and a sixth-place finish.
13 wins, 18 draws and seven defeats made up their 38-game season.
That earned them a Europa League place this year and while those extra matches could affect them later in the season, it won’t have a bearing on this one.
New laws for the 2026/27 Premier League seasonThey were a very streaky side, with an eight-match spell early on seeing them up to second at one stage before an 11-game sequence without three points.
However, they didn’t lose in the league after 3 January and remain on an 18-match unbeaten run.
ManagerBournemouth are one of nine teams in the Premier League who will be under new stewardship this season.
Marco Rose has the unenviable task of trying to fill Andoni Iraola’s shoes after he left for Liverpool.
City Magazine: August issue available to read now!The German will be taking charge of his very first Premier League game but has extensive experience with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria before time with Gladbach, Dortmund and Leipzig in Germany.
Having been part of the Red Bull programme, he’s renowned for his high pressing sides who play with a lot of energy.
In that sense, he’s expected to bring some continuity from the key pillars of Iraola’s tactics.
Transfer activityThings have been remarkably stable in the playing squad for Bournemouth so far this summer, with three senior players coming in and three leaving.
Centre-back Antonio Silva has come in from Benfica and right-back Juanlu arrives from Sevilla while Alvaro Rodriguez will provide competition for Evanilson in the central striking role.
That comes after former City Academy man Enes Unal left for Getafe following a string of injuries in his two-year stay and midfielder Hamed Traore departed for Marseille.
The biggest exit is undoubtedly defender Marcos Senesi, who has joined Spurs on a free transfer.
Preferred formationUnder Iraola, Bournemouth stuck almost exclusively to a 4-2-3-1.
That largely saw Djordje Petrovic in goal, with a back four of Adam Smith, James Hill, Senesi and Adrien Truffert from right to left.
With Senesi now not at the club, fans can expect either Bafode Diakite or Antonio Silva to slot in.
Alex Scott is first choice in the double pivot, with Ryan Christie, Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook all vying for the slot alongside him – although Christie is suspended for this one.
Junior Kroupi is one of the stars in the attacking areas, playing off the shoulder of Evanilson but Kroupi won’t be fit for this one after an injury in pre-season.
Amine Adli also won’t feature, so Rayan, David Brooks, Marcus Tavernier, Justin Kluivert and Ben Gannon-Doak could all play in support of Evanilson.
How they attackWith 58 goals last year, they were the fifth best attacking side in the division.
No one scored more from fast break situations than the Cherries, with nine coming on the transition like that.
They’re weak in the air though, with no side scoring fewer headed goals than them and only five goals coming from corners.
They kept pushing right until the end in 2025/26, scoring 16 times in the last 15 minutes of games.
With an average of 414 completed passes per match, they were slap bang in the middle of the table in terms of possession.
Kroupi was their most lethal player last term with 13 while our own Antoine Semenyo netted 10 times before the January move north.
How they defendDefensively, Bournemouth were a little more susceptible than their final placing suggested last season.
Their 54 goals conceded was only better than six other teams, while their xG against should have seen them let in a few more.
In particular, they didn’t like set pieces. Their 26 goals conceded from dead balls situations was the worst in the entire league.
Only two sides committed more fouls than their 457 and received more yellow cards than their 88, so expect full-blooded commitment throughout.
Head-to-head recordWe have won all nine of our Premier League home games against Bournemouth by an aggregate score of 34-6.
That means we’ve netted 3.8 goals per game when hosting the Cherries; our highest average against any opponent on home soil.
Overall, we’ve played each other 18 times in the Premier League with Bournemouth winning just one and only one draw.
However, our most recent meeting was the May draw on the south coast, so we’ll want to get back to winning ways.
Premier League 2026/27 home tickets now on saleGeneral admission tickets for Manchester City’s home 2026/27 Premier League fixtures are now on sale to Premium, Matchday and Junior Members.
Season Ticket Members, meanwhile, are now also able to purchase additional tickets for selected games.
Premier League match-by-match ticket prices for junior and adult Matchday Members have been retained at the same rate for a third consecutive season.
It promises to be another thrilling campaign for the Blues as we enter a new era under the guidance of Enzo Maresca, who takes over from Pep Guardiola in the hotseat.
Make sure you secure your spot at the Etihad Stadium for our Premier League fixtures now!
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