City Xtra
·18 May 2026
Man City will lose Premier League title if we don’t beat Bournemouth, says Pep Guardiola

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Yahoo sportsCity Xtra
·18 May 2026

Pep Guardiola has reminded his Manchester City players that anything less than a win over Bournemouth on Tuesday night will see Arsenal win the Premier League title.
City lifted the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday to secure a cup double for the season as Antoine Semenyo superbly back-heeled Erling Haaland‘s cross past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to clinch the Ghanian’s second trophy since joining the Blues from Bournemouth in January.
Manchester City retain slim hopes of completing a domestic treble in the final week of the campaign as they hope for an Arsenal slip-up against Burnley or Crystal Palace whilst embarking on their own final league games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
Predicted Starting XI: Bournemouth vs Manchester City (Premier League)
The Blues have enjoyed a splendid business end of the season that has seen them give Arsenal a strong run for their money in a title race whose result seemed a foregone conclusion a few months ago.
Lavishing praise on Bournemouth and Andoni Iraola ahead of the midweek trip to the south coast, Guardiola reminded his players of the task at hand as they enter the final hurdle of the Premier League campaign.
The Catalan said: “Bournemouth, Bournemouth and Bournemouth. 16 or 17 games unbeaten, their run is unbelievable!”
There is no room for error for Manchester City against the Cherries on Tuesday night and against Aston Villa on Sunday. “We have to break their (Bournemouth’s) run, otherwise it will be over,” Guardiola added.
Semenyo has been a revelation since swapping the Cherries for Manchester City for £65 million in January, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists in 25 appearances in all competitions in his first four months at the Etihad Stadium.
The 26-year-old netted the all-important FA Cup final winner against Chelsea on Saturday and is expected to start against his former club in as important a league fixture as they come for Guardiola and City.
Match Officials: Anthony Taylor to referee Bournemouth vs Manchester City
Asked how Semenyo is feeling as he prepares to face Bournemouth on Tuesday night, Guardiola said: “Hopefully he knows what we’re playing for.”
The Manchester City manager made five changes to his line-up at Wembley and could shuffle his pack at the Vitality Stadium, keeping one eye on Sunday’s titanic Premier League finale against Aston Villa.
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