Cherries overpowered by Premier League leaders Manchester City

Bernardo Silva put the hosts ahead early on but Callum Wilson’s precise header sent the teams in level at the interval.

After the restart, Raheem Sterling scored his sixth goal in as many top-flight appearances against Cherries and Ilkay Gundogan wrapped up a 3-1 win.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe made three changes to the side beaten by Arsenal, which included a surprise recall for Tyrone Mings.

The towering defender was handed his second Premier League start in more than 14 months, replacing David Brooks as Cherries shifted to a 3-4-3 formation.

Dan Gosling was considered only fit enough for the bench after picking up a knee problem against the Gunners, while Colombian star Jefferson Lerma served a one-match ban.

Lewis Cook and Andrew Surman were drafted into central midfield, the latter making his first league start in 10 weeks.

City manager Pep Guardiola – missing injured striker Sergio Aguero – made five changes, with Danilo, Nicolas Otamendi, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus drafted in.

The hosts made clear their intentions inside the opening 30 seconds. Leroy Sane played a neat one-two with Gabriel Jesus and the German’s teasing cross from the left was gathered by keeper Asmir Begovic at the second attempt.

Cherries carved out a decent chance of their own in the fourth minute. Ryan Fraser played a corner short to Charlie Daniels, who found the Scot with a backheel and Fraser’s cross was diverted off target by Wilson, who had been forced to improvise.

City were looking ominous on the wings and Oleksandr Zinchenko’s delicious cross was fractionally too far ahead of Gabriel Jesus, despite the Brazilian’s desperate stretch.

But 16 minutes in, Guardiola’s troops took the lead. Zinchenko clipped over the backline and although Begovic charged out to block from Sane, the ball fell kindly for Bernardo Silva and he steered coolly past Nathan Ake, who had retreated to the goalline.

Bernardo Silva threatened to add a quick-fire second, only for his volley from Sane’s cross to be cleared by Lewis Cook from inside the six-yard box.

After an incident-packed opening, matters quietened significantly. Cherries were struggling to get the ball off their opponents and when they did, attacks were rarely progressing much beyond the halfway line.

Even the home crowd were sent into something of a slumber as City lost their incisive edge and the pace of the contest slowed to training game level.

Nothing further was created until Sane dived in off the wing and crashed well over eight minutes before the break.

Soon after, Joshua King seized on Charlie Daniels’s pass and delivered an in-swinging cross which just drifted across Wilson, with Ederson required to parry nervously to safety.

City’s curiously passive approach had given Cherries encouragement and a minute before half-time, the visitors equalised with a beautifully-worked effort.

The ball was shifted from left to right flank via King and Lewis Cook and Simon Francis floated in a left-footed cross which Wilson headed beyond Ederson, who got only a fingertip to it. Etihad Stadium was silenced.

Cherries attempted to continue their resurgence after the resumption. Wilson released King in behind and the Norwegian’s cross dropped a fraction past the far post with Daniels steaming in.

City’s frustrations showed when Ederson took exception to Wilson standing in his way – legally – after the goalkeeper attempted to clear out of hand.

However, in the 53rd minute, Cherries had a lucky escape. Sterling weaved into the box, negotiating his way past Mings and Ake, and his effort clipped Surman and rebounded off the post.

Four minutes later, Guardiola’s men were back in front. Danilo was found in space by Sterling and his low, driven shot was repelled by Begovic. However, the ball squirted into the path of Sterling, who had continued his run, and the England star converted from close range.

Midway through the half, Begovic pushed away Gabriel Jesus’s flicked header from Gundogan’s free-kick and City had an even better chance moments later.

Gabriel Jesus brilliantly beat Lewis Cook at the by-line and his pull-back found the unmarked Fernandinho, whose effort flashed past the post with a multitude of players in attendance.

Fernandinho then survived strong shouts for a penalty when he shoved over Mings in the box as the defender went up for a Steve Cook throw-in.

Eleven minutes from time, City put the game to bed. Sane’s corner came back out to him and he played a slick one-two with substitute David Silva, the winger’s resultant cross being tapped home from six yards by Gundogan.

Begovic made a stunning save to keep out Sane but the home side were already home and dry.

MATCH STATS

Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Danilo, Otamendi, Laporte, Zinchenko (Delph, 54); B Silva (Mahrez, 87), Fernandinho, Gundogan; Sterling, Gabriel Jesus (D Silva, 77), Sane.

Unused subs: Walker, Kompany, Foden, Muric (g/k).

Booked: None.

Cherries (3-4-3): Begovic; S Cook, Mings, Ake; Francis, L Cook, Surman, Daniels; Fraser (Brooks, 72), Wilson (Mousset, 85), King (Stanislas, 85).

Unused subs: Rico, Gosling, Defoe, Boruc (g/k).

Booked: None.

Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).

Attendance: 54,409.