- Pep Guardiola previews Bournemouth trip
- Praises Man City’s next opponent
- Reflects on their unbeaten run
Manchester City require a victory against Bournemouth, but Pep Guardiola knows that their visit to the Vitality Stadium is going to be very difficult.
When Man City have come up against the Premier League’s best teams, they have stepped up and sealed victories.
From thumping Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, to defeating Arsenal at the Etihad, City have consistently delivered when it matters.
However, there is always the chance of a rare slip-up, as we saw when the Citizens were held by Everton.
And this seems even more likely to happen when Pep Guardiola and his men are up against a club who have only lost two more matches than they have.
Pep Guardiola reacts to Bournemouth’s incredible form
Man City will not be thinking about Bournemouth as just another team. They are a side chasing European football, and who are undefeated since January.
Guardiola has highlighted the positive feelings in City’s camp after the weekend, but he knows their next test could be far less successful.
“Of course it is better to travel to Bournemouth with the feeling that we won the FA Cup than the opposite, but it is a different competition,” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.
“They are 16 or 17 games unbeaten so their run is incredible. We have to break that run otherwise it will be over.”
Bournemouth are fresher than Man City
Since Bournemouth last played a match, Man City have completed 270 minutes of football, handing the Cherries a significant advantage.
Pep Guardiola had to make changes against Crystal Palace to be ready for the FA Cup final, and he may do the same on Tuesday.
After all, Sunday is the season finale which sees City take on one final task, with Aston Villa visiting the Etihad Stadium.
“They [Bournemouth] have 10 days to prepare for a game as they fight for the Champions League so they have an argument to be the best version of themselves,” Guardiola added.
“We will prepare the best way knowing what we have to do. It is not complicated, we have to win and take the hopes to the last game against Aston Villa.”
City must look to build on their momentum
When it comes to fatigue, Bournemouth are in a much stronger position than Man City. However, the visitors have plenty of reasons to feel positive.
They are still in the title race after two stunning 3-0 victories over Brentford and Crystal Palace respectively.
In addition to that, City were crowned champions of the FA Cup on Saturday, so they should have the confidence to back themselves.
Winning on the south coast will not be straightforward at all, but the Sky Blues have recorded enough victories recently to prove that ending Bournemouth’s unbeaten run is possible.
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