Bournemouth 0-2 Manchester City: Raheem Sterling gives City the lead before Sergio Aguero proves a point as he forces an own goal to close the gap at the top of the Premier League
Gabriel Jesus dropped to the floor holding his ankle and Pep Guardiola looked to the sky. He didn’t so much say a prayer as summon Sergio Aguero and in that moment he arranged the kind of substitution that only Manchester City can.
What a marvellous luxury and what a glorious flaunting of riches when you can replace one of the world’s most hyped talents with one of the most proven.
They are City’s old and City’s new, and the fascinating question is whether the court of King Pep is big enough for the both of them. Jesus is evidently the chosen one, the 19-year-old with three goals in four starts and the affections of his manager.
Raheem Sterling, pictured celebrating with team-mate Kevin De Bruyne, fired Manchester City into a first-half lead
The England international converted at the far post under pressure from Charlie Daniels, from David Silva’s cross
The goal was Sterling’s eighth strike of the season, and also saw Manchester City clock up 50 Premier League goals.
Bournemouth thought they had levelled matters immediately, but Josh King was adjudged to have pulled back John Stones
Sergio Aguero stretched to turn home the second, although the final touch appeared to go in off defender Tyrone Mings
The visitors were dealt a blow early on as young Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus was taken off injured in the first half
Raheem Sterling’s opening goal came from David Silva’s ball in, which was deflected by Steve Cook. For more stats and analysis, visit our brilliant Match Zone
It may have ended in an own goal, but the build-up to City’s second was sublime
But when he went down after 15 minutes, the stage was set for one of those beautifully poetic moments. Aguero emerged from the bench where he has sat for the previous two games and he waited. He did little, just stalked, chased and looked for passes that did not come.
And then, with 69 minutes played and Raheem Sterling’s opener looking vulnerable to an equaliser, he did what he has done 154 other times since 2011. He scored for City, wrapped up the win and struck a small blow in a great sub-plot to this season.
Among it all, he helped City jump from fifth to second, just eight points off Chelsea. There might just be life in the old dog yet, both in terms of striker and club.
For Bournemouth, just more misery with a sixth league straight game without a win. They were good but not good enough. Now they have to worry about what lies beneath.
He was later joined by Sergio Aguero, who had to make do with a starting place in the bench for the third straight game
Guardiola issues instructions to young German winner Leroy Sane during the opening minutes of the Premier League game
Howe’s attempt to stop the bleeding amounted to three changes to the side that was slapped for six by Everton last time out – Tyrone Mings, Dan Gosling and Marc Pugh fell to the bench and Charlie Daniels, Adam Smith and Jordan Ibe came in. It was probably the strongest XI Howe had available.
Guardiola’s sole alteration to the side that edged out Swansea was to bring in Bacary Sagna for Gael Clichy. A trifling matter, really, when so much more interest was centred on the changes the manager did not make.
The Aguero scenario is plainly the issue that will rumble on, but beyond that omission, it was also interesting to see Claudio Bravo spend a fourth straight game on the bench.
Guardiola clearly did not want to risk using him and that, bluntly, is what Bravo has become – a gamble, a challenge to all sensible interpretations of his statistics. Guardiola passionately and frequently argues the opposite, but it is far more telling that the goalkeeper has not had a sniff since the 2-2 draw against Tottenham on January 21, which followed the 4-0 drubbing at Everton. Together those games contributed to his sorry record of 16 goals shipped from 24 shots, with no saves made since January 2. Astonishing numbers.
Yaya Toure was outraged to be shown a yellow card by Neil Swarbrick for a late tackle on Bournemouth’s Adam Smith
Goalkeeper Willy Caballero had to come flying out to beat Jordon Ibe to the ball as the former Liverpool man broke through.
At the other end, Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc did superbly well to deflect Sterling’s effort onto his left-hand post
In his place, and that of Joe Hart, Willy Caballero has stepped up on the back of conceding just once in the previous three games.
And then there was this one. It took 19 minutes here for him to have the sort of impact that can change games. Jordan Ibe had played a pass to Jack Wilshere on the edge of the City area and John Stones was slow to challenge, allowing the return pass to Ibe. He was through but out surged Caballero and down he went to make a desperately important block. A goalkeeper using his feet well – Guardiola might well like that.
From there, Bournemouth pushed and chased and looked for counters that City never appeared entirely comfortable in facing, particularly those involving Ryan Fraser’s wonderful pace.
At the other end, Guardiola’s side had no difficulty making openings of their own. De Bruyne had one half-chance inside three minutes and Sterling was a shade too heavy when through a moment later.
Toure came close for Manchester City as he fired a trademark long-range effort inches wide from just outside the box
They were not to be denied for long, though, as Sterling converted David Silva’s cross at the back post to put City ahead
Josh King thought he had brought Bournemouth level within a minute, but it was ruled out for a pull on John Stones
Jesus was also getting involved until it all ended so abruptly when he rolled his ankle in lunging at a Sterling cross. On came Aguero but not much happened for him, while Sterling, De Bruyne and Yaya Toure all tried and failed at various points to squeeze shots between the lunging bodies of a desperate defence. For his part, Artur Boruc also kept out a shot from David Silva.
Brilliantly entertaining and only goalless until the 29th minute, when Silva played in Sane and the forward’s pass was deflected into the path of Sterling’s run to the back post. His sixth league goal of the season followed, a suitable reward for another of those games when he looks so impressive.
Josh King had the ball in City’s net almost immediately afterwards, only to be correctly penalised for a gentle tug on Stones’s shirt in the build-up. That caused a little anger and the anger gave way to concern when Wilshere went down holding his ankle after a block on Silva. The challenge was brilliantly timed; the sight of him suffering for his art all-too-familiar. He didn’t see out the half.