What are the reasons for Guardiola's squad's loss against Bournemouth?

Manchester City's 32-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League came to an end with a 2-1 loss to Bournemouth, leaving Liverpool two points clear at the top of the table.

This marked Bournemouth's first-ever victory over Manchester City in all competitions, having previously drawn twice and lost 19 times. It was also their first league win against the reigning Premier League champions since a 3-0 victory over Chelsea in January 2018.

Bournemouth deserved their victory, and it wasn't a shock

Manchester City's visit to Bournemouth was always going to be a tough challenge, and Andoni Iraola's team proved it by ending City's long unbeaten run.

Bournemouth are now unbeaten in their last three Premier League matches, all against teams that finished in the top four last season (W2 D1). This victory also marks just the fourth time in their history that they’ve won three consecutive home Premier League games, following similar runs in October 2016, February 2018, and April 2024.

This win was no accident. Bournemouth had more shots on target (6 for Bournemouth, 4 for City) and created more clear scoring opportunities (6 for Bournemouth, 4 for City). Their second goal, scored by Evanilson, seemed inevitable for those watching closely, even if it surprised those who weren't.

Manchester City's first real shot on target didn't come until the 80th minute, courtesy of Erling Haaland, with Josko Gvardiol following up with another two minutes later.

Bournemouth's strategy was clear: press hard in midfield, push City back to goalkeeper Ederson, and then attack directly after regaining possession. This plan worked so well that even by the 75th minute, when Bournemouth were up 2-0, they continued attacking rather than just trying to defend their lead.

Pep Guardiola’s gamble with Manchester City players backfires

Pep Guardiola took risks by fielding several players who were not fully fit, including Kyle Walker, who wasn’t expected to return until after the international break.

Guardiola reshuffled the defense, with Kyle Walker replacing Rico Lewis at right-back. While Walker's speed should have given him an advantage on the flanks, he struggled and was outplayed by Bournemouth's Milos Kirkes.

The day before the game, Guardiola urged his players to push through their injuries. This resulted in him starting Savinho, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, along with Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, and Walker, all of whom had been injury concerns leading up to the match.

It wasn't until the 73rd minute that Guardiola made his first substitution, leaving City with players who were clearly not in top form for most of the game.

Guardiola's decision to take risks came before a challenging December fixture list, which includes eight matches, starting with a visit to Liverpool, and games against Aston Villa, Juventus, and Manchester United.

More than just a defeat

It wasn’t just the loss, but the manner in which it happened. City allowed Bournemouth 12 shots, with six on target. This is the highest number of chances City have conceded since their 2-1 loss to Brentford at the Etihad in November 2022, which also saw six shots on target.

Defensively, City’s struggles are reflected in the fact that they have conceded the first goal in five of their first 10 Premier League matches this season. This is their highest number of early concessions in their first 10 games since the 2006-07 season (also five).

This was also the first time since October 2021, when they lost to Crystal Palace, that City failed to avoid defeat after being two goals down in a Premier League match. In their previous five occasions when trailing by two goals, City managed to avoid defeat (W3 D2).