In hopes of moving past their latest Wembley loss, Manchester City have their last home fixture on Tuesday night, when Bournemouth will pay them a visit.
Pep Guardiola and his team are disappointed after losing the FA Cup to Crystal Palace, but the Cherries are not out yet when it comes to qualifying for the Conference League.
According to Ian Wright, a decision that Man City believed was wrong added to their frustration as they missed some opportunities, allowing Crystal Palace to win their first ever major event under the Wembley arch.
Starting with Eberechi Eze scoring a wonderful goal and going on to Dean Henderson saving a penalty from Omar Marmoush, in between was a highly debatable moment when the Palace goalkeeper avoided a red card for allegedly handballing outside the area against Erling Haaland.
As discussions after the 1-0 loss on Saturday continue, it seems that Man City’s cabinet will only include a Community Shield from last season.
The campaign of the ex-champions could face yet another blow if they miss out on the top five, but with one more game and one extra point, their European chances are all their own.
Last weekend’s goalless stalemate against Southampton felt like déjà vu for Manchester City fans—another frustrating result that didn’t exactly help their cause. Still, Pep Guardiola’s squad can hold their heads high after racking up four straight Premier League wins at the Etihad. Not to mention, they’ve crushed their final home game of the season eight years running. Talk about ending on a high note!
Now, here’s where things get twisty. If City had beaten Crystal Palace earlier and secured a Champions League spot, their FA Cup final appearance could’ve thrown a lifeline to teams like Manchester United or Newcastle. Eighth place might’ve been enough for a Europa Conference League ticket. But alas, that ship has sailed.
Bournemouth, however, aren’t totally out of the European picture. There’s still a wildcard scenario: If Chelsea win the Conference League and finish seventh, or if Newcastle land seventh while Chelsea take sixth, eighth place could sneak Bournemouth into Europe’s third-tier competition. Confused? Yeah, it’s that kind of season.
But let’s be real—Bournemouth’s recent form (just three wins in 13 games) isn’t exactly screaming “continental contenders.” Last weekend’s gut-punch 1-0 loss to 10-man Aston Villa sealed their fate for a top-seven finish, and they’ll need Brentford and Brighton to fumble their final two games to keep even a flicker of hope alive.
On the bright side? Bournemouth’s been oddly solid on the road, losing just once in their last 13 away trips. That’s a tiny silver lining ahead of their daunting Etihad visit. And hey, they did stun City 2-1 at home back in November. But Guardiola’s crew got payback with an FA Cup quarterfinal win by the same scoreline—and let’s not forget, City have a perfect 7-0 record against Bournemouth in Manchester
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