Manchester City have the chance to close the gap on league leaders Chelsea after their disappointing draw at Burnley yesterday. They travel to a Bournemouth side bereft of confidence and leaking goals left right and centre. They've shipped 16 goals in their last five games, including 10 in their last five home games. They have conceded four or more goals in their last three Premier League meetings with City.
Bournemouth form
The Cherries sit just six points above the drop zone, with the teams below them - barring Leicester - picking up much better results in recent weeks.
They're without lead striker Callum Wilson, who is expected to be out for the rest of the season with a second cruciate knee ligament injury.
That leaves them with Josh King, Bournemouth's top scorer with 13 goals this season, and Benik Afobe, who scored an important late goal in the 2-2 draw against Watford last month.
Bournemouth's big issue is their defence, with the back four continuously changing. The last time Bournemouth played the same back four in consecutive games was at the end of December.
Simon Francis, Charlie Daniels and Adam Smith will all face last fitness tests.
Expected XI; Boruc; Francis, Cook, Mings, Fraser; Arter, Surman, Pugh, Wilsher, Gosling; King
Manchester City form
Everything looks rosey in the blue half of Manchester after Pep Guardiola decided to drop the prolific Sergio Aguero for new boy Gabriel Jesus, who has scored three goals in two games, including a last minute winner against Swansea last weekend.
That makes a young forward three of Jesus, 19, Sane, 21 and Sterling, 22. The energetic trio are performing exactly how Pep would have hoped all his players could do when he joined in the summer. They're pressing the ball high up the field, something which has resulted in Aguero's omission from the starting XI.
It seems Willy Caballero has his place confirmed for the time being, until he makes a mistake which will allow Pep to bring Bravo in again.
It doesn't look like Vincent Kompany will be rushed back again, as he watches from the bench. Should City be comfortable, he might get the last 15 minutes.
Guardiola might have a big decision to make as to whether he goes for Jesus and Aguero for the first time from the off.
Expected XI; Caballero; Clichy, Stones, Kolarov; Sane, Toure, Fernandinho, Sterling; De Bruyne, Silva; Jesus
Prediction - 1-3
I think this City team will come flying out of the blocks, especially with the young and energetic forward three who will put pressure on the unsteady Bournemouth defence from the get-go.
I still don't think City's defence is a finished article as Guardiola continues to play with a back three or four. There may be a few shaky moments when the fans at the Vitality gee-up their team, but I expect City to silence the crowd early on with a couple of goals and pile pressure of Eddie Howe's side.
Guardiola's biggest decision today is whether to unleash Aguero and Jesus together against a defence conceded three against League One side Millwall.
