City’s Haaland Magic Keeps Bournemouth at Bay: 3-1 at the Etihad Still Feels Easy
2 November 2025
Match Summary
Manchester City continued their dominant run against Bournemouth, reinforcing their flawless home record in this rivalry.
They returned to Premier League form with a 3-1 victory at the Etihad, bouncing back from last week’s defeat to Aston Villa.
Erling Haaland struck twice in the 17th and 32nd minutes, with Nico Orieli adding a third in the 60th. Bournemouth pulled one back through Tyler Adams in the 25th minute.
Opta statistics underline City’s superiority: they have won all nine home meetings against Bournemouth. Across those nine games at the Etihad, City have scored 34 and conceded just four.
City have now won 16 of 17 Premier League meetings with Bournemouth. At 25 years and 158 days, Phil Foden became the youngest City player to reach 200 Premier League appearances, eclipsing the previous record held by Raheem Sterling.
Rayan Cherki provided two decisive passes in five games across all competitions in 2025, including one for Haaland in today’s match, showcasing his growing influence in the squad.
Haaland’s 13 goals in the league this season sit above the tally of more than half the Premier League clubs. City move to 19 points, second in the table, six behind leaders Arsenal, while Bournemouth remain on 18 points in fourth.
Event Highlights
The game started at high pace, with Bournemouth pressing early and nearly capitalizing through a clever set piece, only for a tight offside to rule it out.
City quickly regained control, building from the wings through Doku and Foden, swapping positions to confuse Bournemouth’s defense.
In the 17th minute, Cherki’s through ball sliced the visitors’ defense, allowing Haaland to surge forward and finish calmly past the keeper for 1-0.
Bournemouth’s best moment came from a quick counter where Adams finished a low cross to equalize at 1-1, before Haaland restored City’s lead with a second goal just before halftime.
Second-half pressure continued, and Orieli’s composed finish in the 60th minute made it 3-1, effectively sealing the result for City.
Genuine chances continued for City, but the scoreline remained until the final whistle as the hosts controlled possession and tempo.
Substitutions at 73 minutes saw Savinho and Randers enter for Doku and Cherki as City managed minutes for squad rotation. Bournemouth responded with more attacking intent, but City’s defense held firm, including a late surge from Marmoush after Haaland’s substitution.
In the closing stages, City’s rhythm showed no signs of waning, and they closed out a comfortable win to keep their title challenge very much alive.
Punchlines:
1) City’s trophy cabinet has its own gym—it's always lifting silverware, even on rest days.
2) Haaland’s goals are so frequent that even the net started charging him rent for every hit.
