City hadn't lost in the league since December 6, but from the start, Bournemouth, led by Andoni Iraola, proved they were a formidable opponent. The Cherries took control with goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson in each half.
At times, it seemed Bournemouth would overwhelm City, with Marcus Tavernier hitting the post when the score was 2-0. Josko Gvardiol made it a nervous finish by scoring with a header from Ilkay Gundogan's cross.
Pep Guardiola acknowledged the challenges posed by his team's lengthy injury list, stating, "We have few players with a lot of minutes and a lot of players with no minutes — the balance is a bit uncomfortable."
Depleted by injuries, City had already suffered a loss to Tottenham in the League Cup midweek. Guardiola had to start players like Gvardiol, Kyle Walker, and Manuel Akanji, who were doubtful before the match, while Kevin De Bruyne was only fit for the bench.
Bournemouth struck first in the ninth minute when Milos Kerkez set up Semenyo, who recovered from a misstep to finish past Ederson. The home side remained a constant threat, with Semenyo and Justin Kluivert putting pressure on City's defence.
The second goal came from Evanilson, who capitalized on a cross from Kerkez after City’s defense lost track of him. Despite late pressure, including a near miss from Phil Foden, City couldn’t equalise.
With this defeat, City sits two points behind Liverpool, who overcame Brighton 2-1, while third-placed Arsenal lost 1-0 at Newcastle.
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