Bournemouth vs Man City: More on offer than just farewells | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City travel to face Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth, as two of the most in form teams in the Premier League and Europe do battle.

Neither side has tasted defeat in the league since January, with Bournemouth’s unbeaten run lasting 16 games and City’s for 14 matches. Both streaks will be put to the test, as both sides will search for a victory as they pursue lofty ambitions.

City’s treble chase

City returned home triumphant last Saturday, after claiming their second trophy of the season in the FA Cup final against Chelsea. The Blues have now landed both domestic cups this campaign and are still in the hunt for a domestic treble, with their eyes still set on adding the Premier League trophy to their collection.

However the title is, of course, now out of their hands. If Arsenal win their final two fixtures, against Burnley and Crystal Palace, then Mikel Arteta’s side will be crowned champions for the first time in 23 years. If City fail to defeat Bournemouth, then that date could be brought forward.

Guardiola has reiterated his desire to take the title all the way to the final day. “It’s not in our hands,” he said. “But we cannot lose the Premier League because they don’t win and we don’t win. That cannot happen.” If City are to keep their chase alive, then a tough challenge awaits them.

Bournemouth’s European dreams

Bournemouth are currently on the longest unbeaten run of every team in Europe’s top five leagues, and have hopes of a European excursion. The Cherries are currently sixth in the table, a spot that could be enough to earn Champions League qualification, and Liverpool in fifth are not yet out of reach.

With two games remaining, this campaign still promises to be a historic one for Bournemouth. They are just one point of their highest-ever tally in the Premier League and look set to smash their previous best finish of ninth place. “We are close,” insisted Iraola. “But we still don’t have it. We need one more point but it won’t be easy.”

Semenyo’s return

The mid-week fixture will also see the return of Antoine Semenyo to his former stomping ground. The winger spearheaded Bournemouth’s attack in the first-half of the season before his January switch to Manchester. Despite leaving five months ago, he still leads the Cherries for goal contributions this term and has been as influential as anyone in their historic season.

Semenyo is sure to be given a hero’s welcome on his return to the Vitality too. The Ghanaian has continued to flourish since joining City, and he was the one to score the winning goal in the FA Cup final last Saturday.

Iraola’s farewell

Sentiments will not be limited to just the players either at the Vitality Stadium. Tuesday night will see Iraola’s final home match in charge of Bournemouth, having already announced he will leave at the end of the season.

The Spanish coach is sure to go down as one of the club’s greatest-ever managers, despite staying for just a three-year tenure. Highly-rated and admired by many top clubs in Europe, his next destination is not yet known. Iraola had been tipped for both the Chelsea and Real Madrid jobs, although both those vacancies have now been filled. If the end of the season goes to plan, then his next visit to the Vitality could be for a European away match.

Pep’s penultimate match?

Iraola is not the only manager who has speculation running wild on his future. With less than a week remaining in the campaign, where Guardiola will be come the end of the summer also remains uncertain.

City’s boss has been asked countless times whether he will remain at the Etihad next season. His response has been to repeatedly point at the year remaining on his contract, often with a wry smile and in a less than convincing answer to the question at hand.

However if the Catalan is to leave, then one would expect a fitting tribute to be held for the man who may well be remembered as the greatest figure in the club’s history. With potentially just six days remaining after a decade of Guardiola with City, no such plans have been announced by the club.

Furthermore the lack of any definitive answer either way on Guardiola’s future suggests that, unpredictable to the last, he may simply have not decided himself yet. Whilst rumours continue to circulate, this appears to be the most likely reality from the feeling around the club. If his departure is imminent, then this will be his last away match in the Premier League as the curtain draws on an all-time great.