Manchester City took control in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification thanks to a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium, where both teams were reduced to 10 men.

An Omar Marmoush stunner gave Pep Guardiola’s side an early lead. Kevin De Bruyne – on his final home appearance for the club – then missed an open goal to make it 2-0, before Bernardo Silva doubled City’s advantage.

Mateo Kovacic’s red card meant De Bruyne’s farewell Etihad appearance ended early, though his replacement Nico Gonzalez subsequently made it 3-0 in the 89th minute, after Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook had received his marching orders.

Daniel Jebbison grabbed a consolation goal for the 11th-placed Cherries, whose slender European hopes have now been extinguished, while Man City star Rodri made his long-awaited return to action from the bench.

Man City now sit third, and a point in their final game of the season against Fulham
should be enough to seal a top-five finish.

How the match unfolded

Marmoush opened the scoring in exquisite fashion in the 14th minute, sending a fizzing 30-yard strike into the top-left corner, giving Kepa Arrizabalaga no chance.

The Egyptian turned provider when he brilliantly picked out De Bruyne soon after, yet from point-blank range and with the goal gaping, the Belgian could only hit the crossbar.

Bournemouth could well have made City pay, but Evanilson could only steer an effort onto the post after latching onto Marcus Tavernier’s cross.

Silva’s cool 38th-minute finish from Ilkay Gundogan’s slick pass made matters more comfortable for City, though Kovacic’s red card for dragging down an in-on-goal Evanilson threatened to change things.

Yet Cook’s rash challenge on Nico cancelled out Bournemouth’s numerical advantage, and after celebrating the return of Rodri, who made his first appearance since suffering a serious knee injury in September, City’s supporters had a third goal to cheer.

Nico curled home to add further gloss to a fine win, though Jebbison had the final say with his 96th-minute effort.

De Bruyne bids farewell to the Etihad

De Bruyne showed flashes of his brilliance on his final home game for City, where he will go down as a legend.

In the early stages, De Bruyne was at the centre of the action, picking out some excellent passes, most notably one to Matheus Nunes, playing him in behind and through on goal, but the midfielder-turned-full-back failed to apply a finishing touch.

However, for all the good he did, that glaring miss from inside the six-yard box will haunt De Bruyne – though he has a catalogue of brilliant displays too look back on from down the years, of course.

It has been a tough campaign for City, who will have no major trophy to their name for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Tuesday’s display, though, at least ensured their fate is in their own hands when it comes to Champions League qualification.

They were excellent at times going forward, but that defensive frailty that has cost them this season was also on show – Guardiola will hope that Rodri’s return will go some way to fixing that next term.

For now, the focus will be on getting over the line. A win against Fulham would ensure a third-place finish at the least, while a draw should still be enough to guarantee Champions League qualification, given City have a much superior goal difference compared to Aston Villa, who are two points back in sixth.

Bournemouth’s season ending in a whimper

Bournemouth have had a brilliant season, one that Andoni Iraola can be proud of, but their form going into the end of the term has been poor.

After this defeat, the Cherries have only won two out of their previous 12 Premier League matches, losing six in that run.

For a team that has been so vibrant this term, they lacked a cutting edge creatively, and their only clear chance before Jebbison’s goal came when Evanilson hit the post with the score at 1-0 – no doubt, the striker should have done better, but Bournemouth will feel they could have offered more in an attacking sense.

With Dean Huijsen’s move to Real Madrid now confirmed, Bournemouth will be losing a standout star. Iraola will be hoping the Spain international is the only key player he loses, as he looks to build on the promise his side have shown across the campaign.

A home fixture against already-relegated Leicester City provides a great chance for Bournemouth to at least end their season on the right note.

Club reports

Man City report | Bournemouth report

Match officials

Referee: Thomas Bramall. Assistants: Nick Hopton, Derek Eaton. Fourth official: Robert Jones. VAR: Paul Tierney. Assistant VAR: Craig Taylor.