Manchester City suffered their first Premier League loss of 2024, falling 2-1 to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium after delivering a subpar performance. The defeat marks a historic moment for Bournemouth, as this is the first time they’ve ever beaten City in the league. Liverpool took advantage of City’s slip-up, staging a comeback against Brighton to move to the top of the Premier League standings.
From the outset, Bournemouth showed they were ready to capitalize on any weaknesses, pressing with intensity. Within just two minutes, City goalkeeper Ederson was forced into a double save, first stopping Antoine Semenyo and then denying Justin Kluivert on the rebound. The early pressure paid off when a focused Semenyo received a pinpoint pass from Milos Kerkez, spun around his marker, and slotted in his fourth goal of the season.
City’s usually fluid attacking style was missing throughout the first half, and they struggled to find a rhythm. Unusually for them, they ended the half without registering a single shot on target. Bernardo Silva saw one effort blocked by a brave intervention from Kerkez, while Erling Haaland’s misfired attempt went wide—a rare sight in City’s typically precise play.
In the second half, Ederson kept City’s hopes alive with a crucial save, denying Evanilson just after the restart. However, the Brazilian striker soon found his moment, making a sharp connection with another Kerkez cross in the 64th minute, leaving Ederson stranded and doubling Bournemouth’s lead.
Bournemouth continued to threaten and nearly extended their lead further. In a rapid counter-attack, Marcus Tavernier struck the post, and Adam Smith’s follow-up flew over the crossbar with the goal wide open, missing a golden chance to put the game out of reach.
