AFC Bournemouth hosted the current Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Club Cup winners Manchester City on Saturday evening, live on Sky Sports.
The build-up surrounded the Premier League title chase narrative of course, the only passing comment on the Cherries was the fact that AFC Bournemouth have failed to get anything from any of their meetings against Manchester City in the top flight of English football. A fact that remains today, but is far from telling the whole story.
Pep Guardiola called his players “supermen” following the closely fought contest, that had Manchester City clinging on for all three points. He wasn’t being magnanimous however, he was just taking a dig at the fact that his side had less days to rest and prepare for the game. Ignoring the fact that his side has a near €1 billion transfer market value higher than AFC Bournemouth according to transfermarkt. He of course, also has a huge squad and strength in depth to choose from, his opposite number? Well, he selected two goalkeepers and teenager Max Kinsey-Wellings from the youth team just to make up the numbers on the substitutes bench.
After the match, AFC Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola told Sky Sports…
“Even when you play well and put them under pressure – second half I think they were suffering – but you have to take your chances and be more clinical.
“It was the type of game we expected. We did well for 25 minutes and then started to lose the high press as we got tired.
“They scored the goal but the second half was very good from our side. But in the end, we missed the most important thing which was the finishing.
“We were brave in the second half and we were close to having something, but we couldn’t do it.
“It is very difficult to get a result against them. We defended well but on the other side, we didn’t finish the things we created.
“I think we are playing well. Now I hope we continue with this level of football and intensity.”