Manchester City crush Bournemouth to move up to third place

MANCHESTER: Kevin De Bruyne was gifted a memorable farewell as Manchester City defeated Bournemouth 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, boosting their chances of securing a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

City now sit third in the Premier League with 68 points and one game remaining—an away fixture against Fulham on Sunday—where just a single point will be enough to confirm qualification for Europe’s elite competition.

The night was an emotional one for club captain De Bruyne, who played his final home game after a decade of service with the club.

The Belgian midfielder had a chance to mark the occasion with a goal in the first half but squandered the opportunity.

Reflecting on the miss after the match, De Bruyne admitted his disappointment.

"It’s terrible. There’s no excuse," he said. "I just said to myself, ‘I have to be there, it’s going to come.’ My son is going to be very tough on me today."

City opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a stunning 30-yard strike from Omar Marmoush that curled into the top left corner.

Bernardo Silva doubled the lead in the 38th minute, capitalising on a clever cut-back from İlkay Gündoğan.

Substitute Nico Gonzalez sealed the win with a goal in the 89th minute, ensuring Bournemouth had no way back.

Daniel Jebbison grabbed a consolation goal for the visitors in stoppage time, but it was too late to change the outcome.

The match saw both teams finish with ten men. City’s Mateo Kovačić received a red card in the 67th minute, followed by Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook, who was sent off in the 73rd.