Erling Haaland returned to form with a decisive brace as Manchester City beat Bournemouth 3-1 to reclaim second place in the Premier League and close the gap on leaders Arsenal.
City came into the match after a disappointing loss to Aston Villa, where Haaland failed to score.
This time, however, the Norwegian striker was back to his clinical best, striking twice in the first half to put Pep Guardiola’s side in control.
Bournemouth thought they had taken an early lead when 17-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi found the net after just 46 seconds, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
City responded calmly and went ahead in the 17th minute as Haaland latched on to Rayan Cherki’s clever header and slotted past Djordje Petrovic.
The visitors hit back through Tyler Adams, who smashed home from close range after Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to deal with a corner.
It was the USA international’s first goal in English football.
City soon restored their advantage when Haaland combined again with Cherki, rounded the goalkeeper, and fired in his 13th league goal of the season - and 26th across all competitions.
He nearly completed a hat-trick before half-time, but Petrovic pulled off a fine save to deny him.
Bournemouth’s best second-half chance fell to Kroupi, whose low shot was parried by Donnarumma.
Moments later, City punished the miss when Nico O’Reilly raced forward and drove home a crisp finish from the edge of the box to seal a comfortable win.
After their setback at Villa Park, City responded in style, extending their perfect Premier League record at home against Bournemouth to nine wins from nine meetings.
Haaland was once again the difference-maker, becoming only the third player in Premier League history - after Robbie Fowler and Luis Suárez - to score two or more goals in four consecutive home games.
He celebrated his opener with a robot dance before adding another from a sublime Cherki assist.
Though denied a hat-trick, his performance underlined why he remains the league’s most feared striker.
Nico O’Reilly added the third goal after a strong run, capping off the win on Phil Foden’s 200th league appearance for the club.
Meanwhile, Rodri returned from a hamstring injury, and substitute Tijjani Reijnders tested Petrovic with a late effort.
With Arsenal still setting the pace, Guardiola’s side appear to be rediscovering the rhythm that made them champions last season.
Bournemouth’s eight-game unbeaten streak came to an end, but Andoni Iraola’s men can take pride in their performance.
They started brightly and were inches away from a dream opening, but City’s quality ultimately told.
Despite milestones for Antoine Semenyo, Marcos Senesi, and Marcus Tavernier - all making their 100th appearances - the Cherries were outclassed by a relentless City side.
Bournemouth’s record against City now stands at 16 defeats in 17 meetings, yet their unity and fearless play this season suggest they can still push for a strong mid-table finish.
