Man City predicted lineup vs Bournemouth - Premier League
By Euan Burns
Manchester City are struggling for consistent form this season and their next opportunity to put the squeeze on Arsenal in the Premier League title race comes away at Bournemouth.
Saturday evening's game on the south coast will feature a City side that missed their chance to stay at the top of the table last weekend as they drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest. They then matched that scoreline against RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday night, so Bournemouth should be a lot sharper physically.
Pep Guardiola will be looking for the right blend with his team selection that brings a comfortable victory over Bournemouth.
Here's a look at the starting XI he could use to do just that.
Man City predicted lineup vs Bournemouth (3-2-4-1)
GK: Ederson - The Brazilian is locked in a constant battle with Alisson to be number one for Brazil and after the Liverpool goalkeeper's mistake against Real Madrid, this is the time for Ederson to impress.
RCB: Kyle Walker - He is one of the more steady performers in a season of inconsistency. Guardiola will be counting on Walker to ensure City secure a clean sheet.
CB: Ruben Dias - There has been a lot of rotation in defence for City this season but it now seems that Dias is Guardiola's go-to guy regardless of the formation.
LCB: Aymeric Laporte - He is set to come back into the team after missing the match against RB Leipzig through illness.
CDM: Rodri - Much like Dias and Walker, Rodri is a player that Guardiola will never want to do without and he will be tasked with setting the tempo in Bournemouth and covering the hard yards.
CDM: Bernardo Silva - Playing in his new deeper role, Bernardo Silva will have a lot of creative freedom against Bournemouth and will look to unlock the game like he did against Nottingham Forest.
RM: Phil Foden - He could take the place of Riyad Mahrez in the team and he will be keen to end the season in better form than he has shown for much of it.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne - Another player coming back from illness who was not involved against Leipzig is De Bruyne and he could certainly be the difference-maker against Bournemouth.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan - Another player who has been used in a number of different roles by Guardiola this season, Gundogan will be keen to continue proving his worth to the team.
LM: Jack Grealish - After a really tough first few months at City, Grealish is beginning to show why City paid such a massive fee for him.
ST: Erling Haaland - Another player who has been in patchy form, there is always a chance that Haaland could suddenly strike and score a hat-trick.