Manchester City edged closer to UEFA Champions League qualification with a 3-1 home win over Bournemouth, in a match that will be remembered for a Kevin De Bruyne farewell, a thunderbolt goal from Omar Marmoush, and an eventful night at the Etihad.
In what was De Bruyne’s final home appearance for City, the night kicked off with a moment of brilliance from Marmoush, who made up for his missed FA Cup final penalty by firing a spectacular 30-yard strike into the top corner just 14 minutes in.
The Belgian midfielder nearly had his dream moment shortly after, but smashed Marmoush’s cut-back off the crossbar from close range.
City doubled their lead on 38 minutes when Bernardo Silva cleverly finished at the near post, and though Evanilson later hit the woodwork, the home side took a deserved lead into the break.
The second half brought drama: Mateo Kovacic was shown red for pulling down Evanilson, reducing City to 10 men — but Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook quickly followed for a rash tackle on substitute Nico Gonzalez.
There was more good news for City fans as Rodri made his return after eight months out with an ACL injury, coming on as a late substitute.
The game was wrapped up when Nico Gonzalez smashed in a third goal, before Daniel Jebbison grabbed a late consolation for the visitors after a City defensive error.
But the night truly belonged to Kevin De Bruyne, who received a standing ovation when he was subbed off in the 69th minute, marking the end of an era for the club legend.
What It Means
The win moves Manchester City up to third place with 68 points, two clear of Champions League rivals Newcastle, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, and three ahead of Nottingham Forest. A draw at Fulham on Sunday would now be enough to secure a UCL place.
For Bournemouth, their hopes of a top-eight finish are officially over. They’ll finish the season against already-relegated Leicester City.
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