Saturday's defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final dashed Manchester City's hopes of claiming a significant trophy this season, but they must stay focused in the Premier League.
The Citizens currently sit in sixth place, trailing fifth-placed Aston Villa by just one point. With a postponed match due to the cup final, a victory against Bournemouth on Tuesday could propel them back into contention for a spot in the Champions League.
The idea of Manchester City missing out on Europe's top club competition next season would have been unimaginable at the beginning of the campaign, and Pep Guardiola's squad will be eager to avoid that scenario.
However, Bournemouth, under the guidance of Andoni Iraola, are a well-prepared team and should not be underestimated by the hosts.
Team news
Manchester City will remain without Rodri, Nathan Ake, John Stones, and Oscar Bobb. Mateo Kovacic is uncertain for the upcoming match after sitting out the FA Cup final due to injury.
Nico Gonzalez, Phil Foden, Ilkay Gundogan, and Matheus Nunes could potentially be starters after being on the bench at Wembley.
Bournemouth's list of unavailable players includes Luis Sinisterra, Dango Ouattara, Ryan Christie, Alex Scott, and Enes Unal.
The stats
Throughout the season, Bournemouth's Premier League games have seen an average of 2.72 goals per match, which drops to 2.13 in their last eight fixtures.
Five of Manchester City's previous six games have had fewer than 2.5 goals, with both teams scoring in only one of those matches.
Guardiola's team has failed to score in six Premier League matches this season, marking their highest number of goalless draws in a single campaign since 2015-16.
The Cherries suffered a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in their most recent outing, their sole defeat in the last six matches.
Prediction
Guardiola opted for an attacking lineup in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace but City struggled to convert possession into goals.
Despite featuring attacking talents like Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Omar Marmoush, Savio, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden, Manchester City lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
After a goalless draw with Southampton in the previous game, City have had a total of 49 shots in the last two matches without finding the back of the net.
Guardiola will be determined to avoid a third consecutive goalless draw, but Bournemouth might provide some resistance.
Bournemouth have displayed defensive solidity this season, with their goals conceded tally matching City's at 43 in 36 matches.
However, they have also faced difficulties in scoring goals recently, failing to find the net in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in their last league match, despite having an extra man for part of the game.
Considering the defensive strengths and attacking struggles of both teams, a match with under 2.5 goals seems probable at the Etihad Stadium.