EPL 2017/18, AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City: 5 talking points

In Saturday’s early kick-off, a struggling Bournemouth side welcomed one of the favourites for the title - Manchester City to the Vitality Stadium. What followed was an enthralling end to end game between two teams who love to play football on the ground.

The home side took the lead in the 12th minute with a screamer from Charlie Daniels. but City were back level eight minutes later, as Gabriel Jesus latched onto a defence splitting through ball from David Silva and slotted it into the back of the net.

In the end, two teams separated by £447million in net worth were only separated by a deflected goal in the 97th minute by Raheem Sterling.

Here are the five biggest talking points from the game.

#5 Pep switches back to a back 4

Guardiola rings in the changes

In contrast to the three-at-the-back phenomenon, Pep Guardiola being the tactical innovator that he is, decided to revert back to a good old four-man defence. It seems as though the Spaniard did this to throw Eddie Howe off his initial game plan. Two up front for Bournemouth was designed to try and occupy the spaces in between the three centre-backs, but four at the back meant each centre-back could man mark instead.

A four-man defence also meant that City’s attacking approach focused less on width and more on central penetration. A midfield of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva meant most of City’s attacks were orchestrated through the middle, as the runs of Jesus and Raheem Sterling looked to get in behind the Bournemouth's back five.

#4 Joshua King impresses again

King keeps impressing

In his Bournemouth career, Joshua King has scored 22 league goals but against Manchester City, the 25-year old looked like a man who’d scored 100. King terrorised Manchester City’s defence on the counter, his raw pace and ability to drive with the ball at his feet proved to be Bournemouth’s only outlet on the transition.

Operating along side Jermaine Defoe in a front two, King felt obliged to drift to the flanks to stretch City’s defence, while Defoe occupied one of the two centre-backs. Throughout the 90 minutes, King completed five take-ons, completed 89% of his passes and created four chances. He was by and far Eddie Howe’s most threatening player on the pitch and is primed for another great season.

#3 Benjamin Mendy struts his stuff

Benjamin Mendy finally made his bow for Manchester City

In the third week of the season, Manchester City fans finally got to take a peek at their £52million-rated left-back. The Frenchman started his City career in wobbly fashion as Joshua King linked up with Jermaine Defoe on several occasions to double up on him.

However, after a shaky first 20 minutes, Mendy acclimatised well to the pace of the Premier League, regularly finding himself in the attacking third contributing to attacks. The 23-year old won 60% of his duels, completed 36 passes and created four chances for his teammates.

#2 Nathan Ake has a horror show

Nathan Ake made three defensive errors against City

Perhaps it’s understandable to be bewitched by the wizardry of David Silva but there’s no excuse to lose your man from a through ball. Gabriel Jesus was able to brush past the 22-year-old with ease and score City’s opening goal. Tyrone Mings wouldn’t have found himself on the wrong side of Jesus, and if he did he would have at least muscled the Brazilian off the ball. Ake failed in both those aspects.

Arguably the Dutchman should have been sent off in the 23rd minute as he denied the same Gabriel Jesus of a clear goalscoring opportunity. FIFA adjusted the law on straight reds last year, the law now states that a foul that denies a clear goalscoring chance must be deliberate, and Nathan Ake’s was certainly deliberate.

#1 Sergio Aguero benched

Aguero has scored in 7 of his last 8 league away games

I highlighted this issue only last week and it’s already come to fruition. Manchester City have a plethora of attacking options at their disposal, but not everyone can play every week. This week it was the turn of Sergio Agüero and Leroy Sane to miss out on a starting place.

It’s literally almost impossible for Guardiola to know his best-attacking lineup so early in the season as his forwards offer so many unique qualities.

Gabriel Jesus was given the go ahead up front as his persistent movement would provide the best option to destabilise Bournemouth’s rigid back five. However, there a very few legit reasons as to why you can drop a man that has the best goals/minutes ratio in Premier League history.

In the end, the City manager looked to the Argentinian to save him as he brought him on in the 65th minute. The Spaniard even had to throw on Leroy Sane in the last eight minutes in a desperate attempt to get all three points.

It’s clear that this conundrum won’t become easier for Guardiola throughout the season.