Manchester Metropolis cruised to a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Kevin De Bruyne’s Etihad Stadium farewell to place themselves getting ready to Champions League qualification.
Metropolis didn’t let the frustration of their FA Cup closing defeat to Crystal Palace linger as they ensured De Bruyne’s closing house sport for the membership was capped with a win that strikes Pep Guardiola’s males into third and leaves them needing only a level at Fulham on the ultimate day to make certain of a spot within the Champions League.
Omar Marmoush’s chic 30-yard strike put Metropolis on their manner within the 14th minute and, after a bemusing miss from De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva made it 2-0 seven minutes earlier than half-time.
There was a purple card for all sides within the second half as Mateo Kovacic was despatched off within the 67th minute earlier than Lewis Prepare dinner adopted him down the tunnel six minutes later.
Metropolis had been in a position to have fun the return of Rodri from an ACL harm as he got here off the bench, with Nico Gonzalez capping off a routine win within the 89th minute. Daniel Jebbison’s stoppage-time effort was scant comfort for a Bournemouth group whose hopes of European soccer at the moment are over.
Manchester Metropolis v Bournemouth
Metropolis began brightly as Kovacic slipped whereas firing large from lengthy vary and Matheus Nunes had the ball smothered by Kepa Arrizabalaga earlier than he might pull the set off.
But there was no person to forestall Marmoush from letting fly with a shot that viciously dipped in the direction of the top-left nook and flew in off the publish.
The woodwork was Metropolis’s buddy because it helped that excellent effort on its manner, however De Bruyne was cursing his luck when he one way or the other hit the underside of the bar from point-blank vary with the objective gaping from Marmoush’s pull again.
Fortune smiled on Metropolis, nevertheless, as Evanilson struck the publish on the different finish after wonderful build-up involving Actual Madrid-bound Dean Huijsen and Marcus Tavernier, and Bournemouth got a mountain to climb quickly after.
The Cherries’ failure to clear their strains was punished ruthlessly as Ilkay Gundogan recovered from a poor contact to steer the ball into the trail of Bernardo to slip house a second.
Kepa then wanted to supply an instinctive response save to maintain out Gundogan’s deflected long-range effort shortly earlier than half-time.
Metropolis had been in cruise management within the second half, although they appeared to have given Bournemouth hope when Kovacic was despatched off for flattening Evanilson as he regarded to surge onto a stray cross and undergo on objective.
That dismissal prompted a reshuffle from Pep Guardiola that concerned the substitution of De Bruyne to a rapturous standing ovation, however Bournemouth’s personnel benefit evaporated as Prepare dinner noticed purple.
Prepare dinner acquired a few of the ball in his problem with Gonzalez, however a observe by means of excessive on the substitute’s shin left Thomas Bramall with no selection however to present him his marching orders.
That ended any considered a comeback and, after Rodri changed Haaland for his first look in nearly eight months to raucous approval, Gonzalez bent brilliantly past Kepa.
Jebbison pounced on a defensive mistake to make it extra flattering for Bournemouth with nearly the final kick on an evening on which their efforts to spoil De Bruyne’s celebration proved feeble.
