Manchester City vs Bournemouth Prediction & Betting Tips - Carabao Cup

Prediction published on 22/09/2020, 10:10  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 22/09/2020 at 11:10 in Carabao Cup Predictions

Manchester City begin their bid to win the EFL Cup for the fourth season in a row. They host Championship side Bournemouth who have aleady beaten Crystal Palace in this season's competition. Clubs tend to play weakened sides in this competition but that doesn't really affect the best in the Premier League. Their reserve players are all high quality performers, so Bournemouth look to be in for a hard time in this cup tie. City began their season on Monday and did so in style with a 3-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. That win was achieved with players like Torres, Mahrez and Otamendi on the bench. City have only lost two of their last 22 games in this competition, both to Manchester United. You have to go  back to 2016 for the last time a side outside of Manchester bea them in the EFL Cup and that was a semi-final first leg at Everton. In terms of home matches, there's just been one loss in nine with 28 goals and six conceded.

Bournemouth were relegated from the Premier League last season and have lost some key players since then. That includes Nathan Ake who now plays for City and may well feature in this cup tie. They have made a steady start to life in the Championship with a home win over Blackburn Rovers and a draw at Middlesbrough but with three goals conceded. Between those two league games, they drew 0-0 at home to Crystal Palace in this competition and then won a marathon penalty shoot-out 11-10. Bournemouth's away form was one of the reasons they were relegated last season. They lost nine of their last ten league games in the Premier League last season, the final defeat being a 2-1 loss at Manchester City.  That was their 14th loss to City in 16 games played against then, the other two being drawn with at least two goals conceded in nine of the last ten. A first win doesn't look on the cards here, go for City to win and be ahead at both half and full time.