Bournemouth v Manchester City – Line-ups, stats and preview

Match preview for Bournemouth v Manchester City

After a brief pause for the March international break, Manchester City returns to action with hopes of revitalising their season through an FA Cup triumph.

They travel to Bournemouth on Sunday for the quarter-finals, aiming to finish strong in what has been a disappointing campaign under Pep Guardiola.

City’s recent struggles have seen them slip to fifth place in the Premier League, intensifying their fight for Champions League qualification for the 2025-26 season.

With their European journey already over for this year, a strong FA Cup performance could serve as a catalyst for a bit of momentum for the Premier League champions.

Their opponents, Bournemouth, will be looking to turn their fortunes around following a disappointing run of form.

Since their victory over Southampton in mid-February, the Cherries have gone five matches without a win, hoping the international break provided an opportunity to reset.

With Andoni Iraola drawing interest in the managerial market, he is eager to guide Bournemouth to a positive end to the season, potentially securing a trip to Wembley in May.

FA Cup. Quarter-final. Big one 👊🏆 pic.twitter.com/TZjitVu98k

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) March 27, 2025

Team news for Bournemouth v Manchester City

Bournemouth face some injury concerns heading into this clash. Luis Sinisterra picked up an injury just before the international break and is set to miss a few more weeks.

Additionally, Marcos Senesi, Julian Araujo, and Enes Unal remain sidelined, with Unal ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury.

Ryan Christie is managing a chronic injury, meaning his fitness will be assessed on a game-to-game basis.

Meanwhile, Tyler Adams’ availability remains uncertain after returning from international duty, as the club may take a cautious approach with his recovery.

City are also facing some uncertainties regarding their squad selection. Ederson’s availability remains unknown, but Stefan Ortega is expected to start in goal as he has been the preferred choice for domestic cup matches.

With the game scheduled for Sunday, Savinho might have sufficient time to return from international duty and be ready to feature.

Defensively, City will be without Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, both dealing with muscle injuries and expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

John Stones is also recovering from a thigh issue and will need additional time before returning. Meanwhile, Rodri remains out for the season due to his ACL injury.

𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

🆚 Bournemouth (A)
🏆 FA Cup
🎙️ @PepTeam
⤵️ Watch live

— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 28, 2025

Expected line-ups for Bournemouth v Manchester City

Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson

Manchester City:  Ortega; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol;  N. Gonzalez, Gundogan;  Foden, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland

How to watch Bournemouth v Manchester City: TV channel, online stream

Bournemouth v Manchester City kicks off at 16:30pm on Sunday and will be available to watch on ITV1. Fans in the UK can also stream the game on STV and ITVX.

The stats for Bournemouth v Manchester City

Prediction

Bournemouth have been impressive this season but aside from qualifying in the top four, the FA Cup is all City have left to play for.

They will put their strongest line-up out and if they turn up, should progress to the semi-finals.

However the Cherries are relentless in their system under Iraola and can cause an upset.

We could see extra-time and penalties at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

Prediction: Bournemouth 2-2 Manchester City (City win on penalties.)