The visitors never truly settled into their rhythm, perhaps unsettled by the intense media speculation surrounding the imminent departure of their Catalan manager after a decade at the Etihad, or simply fatigued from their FA Cup final victory over Chelsea just days prior. Regardless, their performance in the first half was well below their usual standards, culminating in them conceding the opening goal to a superb strike from Eli Junior Kroupi in the 39th minute.
Guardiola attempted to shift the momentum shortly after halftime, making a triple substitution that saw Antoine Semenyo, whose return to his former stomping ground proved disastrous, Bernardo Silva, surprisingly subdued, and Mateo Kovacic, disappointingly ineffective, all withdrawn. However, none of their replacements managed to inject the necessary spark to turn the tide.
In fact, The Cherries could have secured all three points, as Andoni Iraola’s side, still vying for a Champions League spot, squandered several golden opportunities before Haaland finally found the net with a powerful shot in stoppage time, following a goalmouth scramble.
For City, it was a case of too little, too late. The club now faces an uncertain future without one of football’s most influential and decorated coaches.
Below, we provide our ratings for every City player who featured in this catastrophic evening at the Vitality Stadium…