Manchester City strengthened their hold on a top-four spot in the Premier League thanks to a comfortable 4-0 win over Bournemouth on the South Coast.
Fernando opened the scoring seven minutes in, before the returning Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero found a way through with less than 19 minutes on the clock.
The Cherries improved from that point on following a slight tweak in formation, but it was City who added the game's fourth late on through Aleksandar Kolarov.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded at the Vitality Stadium with Sports Mole's live text coverage below
2.00pmHello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. After a two-week break club action resumes in the English top flight, with focus now solely on the final stretch of the campaign.
2.02pmFor City, their title aspirations look to be at an end at this moment in time, though they will be desperate to return to form this afternoon to get their campaign back on track. The Cherries, meanwhile, have essentially secured another season of top-flight football and will now be looking to sneak into the top half in their maiden campaign at this level.
2.04pmTEAM NEWS!
BOURNEMOUTH STARTING XI: Boruc, Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, O'Kane, Surman, Pugh, Grabban, King
MANCHESTER CITY STARTING XI: Caballero, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Clichy, Navas, Fernando, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Aguero
2.06pmStarting with the home team, then, and boss Eddie Howe has opted to make two changes to his side following on the back of the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last time out. Eunan O'Kane and Lewis Grabban are the men to come back into the Cherries' first-team fold, with Harry Arter and Benik Afobe both dropping out of the squad entirely.
2.08pmArter has been nursing an Achilles injury, with this match clearly coming too soon for him to make an appearance. Joshua King was another Cherries player who was doubtful in the build-up to this game, struggling with a calf issue, but he is fit enough to play a part from the off at the Vitality Stadium. The ex-Blackburn Rovers forward will start alongside Lewis Grabban in attack for the home side.
2.10pmBournemouth were given some good news during the international break, as their leading scorer Callum Wilson has made a return to first-team training. The Englishman, tipped with a place in the national side when scoring for fun at the start of the season, is still though to be some way off a return to full fitness, however, having been cruelly ruled out for six months. Bad news for Tyrone Mings, though, with his comeback pushed back by a further couple of months.
2.12pmIn terms of the visitors, the big news is that Kevin de Bruyne makes a welcome return from his recent injury layoff to start for the Citizens. The Belgium international, out since the end of January with a knee injury, will slot in behind Sergio Aguero in what appears to be a 4-2-3-1 formation. Fernando, Fernandinho, David Silva and Jesus Navas complete the five-man midfield.
2.14pmYaya Toure is still absent through a heel issue picked up recently, while Fabian Delph, Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and Raheem Sterling have only added to Manuel Pellegrini's injury woes. Nicolas Otamendi has recovered from a knock of his own, however, and will therefore start in the heart of defence alongside Eliaquim Mangala. Elsewhere, Willy Caballero has another chance to impress in Hart's absence.
2.16pmBENCH WATCH!
BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Federici, Distin, Elphick, Gosling, Iturbe, Gradel, Murray
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Wright, Demichelis, Sagna, Kolarov, Nasri, Iheanacho, Bony
2.18pmSo no Benik Afobe for the Cherries, as the striker misses his first league game in two years with a hamstring injury. Juan Iturbe and Glenn Murray are both among Bournemouth's back-up options, though, as is Max Gradel who produced a Man of the Match display here against Swansea City last month to mark his return to the first-team fold in some style.
2.20pmSamir Nasri is another player hoping to make a return for Man City this afternoon, meanwhile, having been recalled to the bench following his injury issues. Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfried Bony may be called upon at some stage, with the latter's best outing as a City player thus far coming in the reverse fixture when scoring twice at the Etihad Stadium. Sterling, who scored a hat-trick in that October clash, misses out today entirely.
2.22pmBournemouth without the goalscoring prowess of Benik Afobe, then, as Eddie Howe shuffles his pack slightly by making two changes from last time out. Manuel Pellegrini is boosted by the return of Kevin de Bruyne in this vitally important month for the Citizens, meanwhile, with one eye perhaps on the upcoming Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.
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2.24pmPrior to that aforementioned three-goal reverse at White Hart Lane a fortnight ago, Bournemouth had gone four games without defeat in the Premier League to essentially confirm their stay in the division for a second year. Twelve points is now the margin on the drop zone - some going for a side backed so heavily for relegation by the bookies last summer. Howe insists that the job is not done quite yet, however, with his charges still needing two points to reach the magic 40 mark.
2.26pmWhisper it quietly, but the gap on the top half now stands at just four points following an impressive March on the whole. A goalless draw at Watford, back-to-back victories over Southampton and Swansea on home soil, and a win away at Newcastle United in the North East, all contributed to a mammoth run of results for the minnows. The way they went down at Spurs last time out was a little worrying, granted, but Howe will be hoping that was a mere blip and not a sign of things to come.
2.28pmBournemouth are certainly now well positioned to kick on and establish themselves at this level, with a huge summer ahead. Howe must decide whether to largely stick with his current crop in an attempt to bring stability and a strong team spirit, or instead twist slightly and recruit some relatively big-name players. The Cherries are still in the infancy of this Premier League journey, of course, so looking too far ahead would certainly not be recommended.
2.30pmAs touched upon a little earlier, Bournemouth have gone successive games without defeat on home soil for the first time in their (very short) top-flight history. With games against Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and today's opponents Man City still to come, though, Howe will be eager to officially confirm safety sooner rather than later. Then work ahead of next season can truly begin, as the South Coast club aim to avoid becoming another victim of the dreaded 'second-season syndrome'.
2.32pmSix goals have been shipped by Bournemouth in their last three outings, although that figure is slightly skewed by the three conceded at Spurs a fortnight ago. Remaining tight at the back against fourth-place City this afternoon may seem like a tough task on paper, but the Citizens are hardly banging the goals in on their travels with just six in their last 10 away outings.
2.34pmDID YOU KNOW? Nine of Bournemouth's 12 defeats this season have come against top-half opposition, while Man City are unbeaten in their last 16 meetings with sides in the bottom half of the table. Factor in that 13 of those have ended in victories, and you get the impression that there is only one outcome on the cards at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon.
2.36pmSo Bournemouth, on the face of it, have little to play for other than as high a finish as possible in the Premier League, but City travel south aiming to stop this alarming slump in form. It is fair to say that, bar the opening weeks of the season, the Citizens have never really looked like a title-winning side. So it has proved, with the gap on leaders Leicester now standing at a whopping 15 points, having admittedly played one game less than their opponents.
2.38pmThe more pressing concerns for Manuel Pellegrini at this moment in time is holding off West Ham United and rivals Manchester United for fourth place. Finishing outside of the Champions League positions really would be a disaster for a side with aspirations of dominating the division, with four defeats in their last six allowing West Ham and Man United to close the gap to just a single point.
2.40pmThat run of four defeats in six is as many as the Citizens had suffered in their previous 18, coinciding with the announcement that Pellegrini is to be replaced by Pep Guardiola in the summer. In all, City have won two of their seven matches since that big call was made, seeing them slip from favourites to finish top right down to fourth place where they are now simply holding off the chasing pack for a Champions League spot.
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2.42pmThe one saving grace for Pellegrini is that his side remain in Europe's elite competition in the latter stages. They have a good chance of progressing further, too, as they face PSG in the last eight this month. It is a tough tie - just ask Chelsea - but one that City will be happy enough with having avoided the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich. First, though, comes this league test on the South Coast.
2.44pmIt is also easy to forget that Pellegrini guided his side to League Cup success just a month ago, edging out Liverpool on penalties to pick up the bare minimum expected of a City manager these days. Even that, however, would go down as a major disappointment should the Citizens slip out of the top four. It seems unthinkable, yet defeat here today - coupled with wins for Man United and West Ham this weekend - and all of a sudden the two-time Prem champs are themselves playing catch-up.
2.46pmThat first-leg tie with PSG comes on Wednesday evening, with the return leg being sandwiched by a league match against West Bromwich Albion. Things could look a little rosier come a fortnight from now, but right now the Citizens appear to be at a crossroads of sorts following this dire run of form, culminating in the 1-0 defeat to Man United on home soil prior to the two-week international break.
2.48pmAs well as scoring just six in their last 10 away matches, City have also failed to score in three of their last four overall. It is a damning statistic for a side boasting so many attacking talents but, with only Arsenal left to play among the top five, Pellegrini is still confident of getting over the line and securing a place in the top four. The Chilean admitted to being "disappointed" by his side's showing against United recently, so a response is desperately needed on the South Coast.
2.50pmPREVIOUS MEETINGS! Man City are unbeaten in seven previous league encounters with Bournemouth, winning five and drawing the other two. The Cherries have never actually found the net against today's opponents on home soil in three previous attempts, and were also on the wrong side of a 5-1 hammering in the reverse meeting in October. Sterling found the net three times in the opening 45 minutes in that one, with Bony - on the bench today - adding the other two.
2.52pmLess than 10 minutes to go until kickoff at the Vitality Stadium now, so let us check out the pre-match thoughts from both camps heading into the Premier League showdown.
Eddie Howe: "We have moved on [since losing 5-1 at City in October]. That game was a difficult one for us. We conceded very early and when you go away it does make it more difficult. The key thing is we learned from that and we have become a better team for the experience. I still feel the players are confident despite the Tottenham game, which was a really disappointing performance. We still feel as though we need results and points. I don't think we can afford to step off, and we will try and deliver."
Manuel Pellegrini: "We're disappointed because one month ago we were involved in all the competitions, just three points behind the leaders. We have to play another eight games - it's not in this moment a bad season, we won a title [the League Cup], we're still in the Champions League. We were forced to leave the FA Cup because we had so many games and unfortunately we had a bad performance in the last game. It's not the time to analyse the season. When you have 24 points to play for, a lot of things can happen. It's my mentality - we take each game as it comes and try to finish as high up the table as we can."
2.54pmInteresting comments from Pellegrini in particular in the build-up to this match, claiming that his side were "forced" out of the FA Cup. That fixture against Chelsea, you may remember, came days before a vital Champions League tie. The Chilean may have an excuse for that one, but finishing outside of the top four cannot be blamed on Premier League chiefs. City desperately need to get back to winning ways today.
2.56pmPREDICTION! This one is tougher to call than it should be, with these two sides worlds apart in terms of budget. City have badly struggled of late, though, winning just two of seven since Pellegrini announced that he will step down at the end of the season. Bournemouth, meanwhile, had gone four without defeat prior to their setback at Spurs, and will likely prove a threat today. That said, I think the visitors will now be refreshed and will claim a 3-1 win.
2.58pmWe are now less than two minutes away from kickoff at the Vitality Stadium, as the two sets of players slowly make their way into the tunnel area.
0 - Bournemouth have failed to score in all three previous competitive games in which they've hosted Man City. Blank.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 2, 2016
1 minKICKOFF! Man City get us underway on the South Coast, but it is the hosts who have made the brighter start by pressing high up the pitch. As expected, De Bruyne is starting in a central position behind Aguero for City.
3 minCity knocking the ball around with some confident now in the South Coast sunshine, but it is Bournemouth who have managed to create the first half-chance of the match. King was played through at an angle, only for his shot to be scuffed well wide of the intended target.
5 minCity begin to assert their authority a little more now and have earned themselves a corner. Decent atmosphere at the Vitality Stadium, with both sides looking impressive early on when getting forward.
7 minGOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY (FERNANDO)
8 minMan City have the breakthrough just seven minutes in, courtesy of a fine strike from Fernando. Navas's corner appeared to lack quality but somehow skidded right through for the Brazilian midfielder to superbly half-volley into the back of the net from on the penalty spot.
10 minSHOT! Gradel's shot-cross at one end is almost turned home by King, who was inches away from the ball. Up the other end De Bruyne almost marked his return to action with an early goal, only for his tame shot to be kept out in a fairly straightforward manner by Boruc.
12 minGOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-2 MANCHESTER CITY (KEVIN DE BRUYNE)
13 minDe Bruyne does indeed have a goal to mark his return to action - and what a goal it was! While Fernando's was about individual brilliance to convert from a corner, this was more of a team move. Aguero helped the ball on to Silva inside the box, who himself laid it off for De Bruyne to strike beyond the reach of Boruc. One-touch football at its finest.
15 minAguero fancies his luck when left in some space 20 yards from goal, but blasts high into the stands. Daniels was at fault for that second City goal, incidentally, having been caught in possession on the edge of his own box. What a start this has been from Pellegrini's men.
17 minAguero, Silva and De Bruyne are at it once again, this time with the latter cutting it back for the Belgian around 20 yards from goal. De Bruyne's radar was slightly off on this occasion, however, cutting through the ball and missing the target with his latest attempt.
19 minGOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-3 MANCHESTER CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
20 minFar, far too easy for City, who have themselves a third with less than a quarter of this one-sided game played. Navas was able to run to the byline and dink a nice cross into the back-post area, where Aguero simply outjumped Smith to nod home across Boruc for his opening goal of the match. Double figures, anyone?
22 minBournemouth have now shuffled the pack slightly by moving King onto the wing and shifting Ritchie into a central position. That matches City's five-man midfield and should make this less of a walk in the park for the visitors. Damage has well and truly been done, though.
24 minOFF THE BAR! so close to a fourth for City, as Fernandinho's strike sails over Boruc but back off the crossbar. The Citizens are not finished quite yet - a fourth before the interval surely being enough to completely kill off any outside hopes the hosts have of rescuing an unlikely point.
26 minFernando opened the scoring for Manchester City seven minutes in, before Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero added to the scoring before the 20-minute mark. Bournemouth have improved slightly since then, but came close to conceding a fourth just moment ago.
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28 minThe change to a five-man midfield has certainly aided Bournemouth's cause, but they are not doing a great deal when on the ball in the attacking third. It may well be a case of damage limitation unless they can score the game's fourth goal - that will change everything.
30 minSAVE! Bournemouth's best spell of the game so far as the ball bounces around in the box, with Grabban unable to get a shot away from close range. The Cherries win a corner, from which Caballero is forced to turn behind Cook's header.
32 minCity have certainly stepped off the pace since scoring a third, but credit to Bournemouth for changing things around and putting some pressure on their opponents at long last. Silva takes on a volley at the back post after being picked out by Aguero, but sends the ball into the stands.
34 minGrabban gets on the end of a cross from the right which is headed over the bar. Half a chance for the striker, who is without partner Benik Afobe this afternoon through injury. Can the Cherries grab a goal before the break? Eleven minutes to go on the South Coast.
36 minGrabban again on the end of a Daniels cross, which once more is headed over. Bournemouth having plenty of joy in wide positions and they are seemingly coming closer to a much-needed response in front of goal.
38 minAguero charges into the box where he is being tracked by four Bournemouth players. Not a single one of them can get a foot in, though, and the Argentinian striker is able to curl one wide of the target. City stepping things up again now after a 15-minute breather.
40 minIt has been well balanced on the whole in the second quarter of this match, with Bournemouth edging things slightly having tested Caballero a little earlier. City now upping the ante as we move into the final five minutes of the half.
42 minComposed defending by Cook to end City's latest attacking move. The Citizens look so incredibly fluid when getting forward, perhaps thanks to the return of De Bruyne in that four-man attack. The Belgian was through again a few seconds ago but was flagged for offside.
44 minRitchie goes in very late on Silva to leave the Spaniard heaped on the floor. Robert Madley probably should have gone into his book, but instead let the Cherries midfielder off with just a little talking to. Just a minute of this enjoyable first half left to play.
45+1 minHALF TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 0-3 MANCHESTER CITY
3.47pmSo Man City take a 3-0 lead into the interval thanks to an incredible goalscoring blitz inside the opening 20 minutes of this contest. Fernando opened the scoring from the first real shot of the match, volleying home from Navas's corner which skidded through the box where the Brazilian was waiting to pounce 12 yards out.
3.50pmDe Bruyne made it two moments later, shortly after seeing a weak attempt kept out in a routine manner by Boruc. The Bournemouth stopper had no chance of denying the Belgian when picked out by Silva, though, as City strung together a super one-touch move to grab a further hold on the match. It was then game over when Aguero headed a third at the back post 19 minutes in.
3.53pmFernandinho almost joined the party when seeing his shot crash back off the crossbar, but since then the hosts have moved to a five-man midfield and have faired much better. Cook's headed attempt from a corner had to be kept out by Caballero, whose only save of the match thus far could prove to be an important one. Three-nil at the break, then, and essentially game over before the second half gets underway.
3.56pmBENCH WATCH!
BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Federici, Distin, Elphick, Gosling, Iturbe, Gradel, Murray
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Wright, Demichelis, Sagna, Kolarov, Nasri, Iheanacho, Bony
3.59pmMan City lead 3-0 at half time thanks to goals by Fernando, the returning Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero. All those goals arrived inside the opening 19 minutes of the match, leaving Bournemouth with an almighty mountain to climb in these next 45 minutes.
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46 minRESTART! Bournemouth get us back underway at the Vitality Stadium, where there is news of one change to bring you from the interval. Mark Pugh is on for King to strengthen the hosts' five-man midfield.
48 minSAVE! Normal service resumed on the South Coast, as De Bruyne's stunning volley is well kept out by Boruc. Silva then scuffs one narrowly wide of the target from the next wave of attack as City look to bag a fourth.
50 minShould Bournemouth pull a goal back prior to the hour mark then we could just have a game on our hands, but that does not appear likely at this moment in time. City still in control without moving out of first gear since going three ahead.
52 minSilva curls a half-decent cross into the box, sending it between the back four and goalkeeper, but Boruc reacted quicker than Aguero. Pellegrini must now be thinking about making a change or two with that upcoming PSG tie in mind.
54 minA good spell for Bournemouth, which they fail to make the most of. The Cherries need to at least test Caballero a little more if they are to take any positives from a match that has effectively been done and dusted since the 19-minute mark.
56 minMANCHESTER CITY SUB! Kolarov has been introduced in place of De Bruyne - a smart change by Pellegrini. The Belgian has been out for two months, remember, so he needs this well-deserved rest. The Citizens likely to go a little more defensive for the remainder.
58 minSilva's teasing cross is now met by Boruc, but it looked like Cook got a telling touch to clear for a corner. Just a couple of shots in this second half so far, both coming inside the opening 60 seconds or so through De Bruyne and Silva.
60 minZabaleta does well down the right-hand side and picks out a decent cross at the end of his run, but it is not quite met by a man in sky blue. Man City very much in control of the match as we hit the hour mark, yet they are unable to extend their winning margin.
62 minPellegrini showing no signs of making any other changes just yet, despite having Bony and Iheanacho among his back-ups. Nasri also among the City subs, and he will surely be given at least 15 minutes to get his match fitness back up to the required levels.
64 minA delicately chipped Silva cross is plucked out of the air by Boruc, who has had far less work to do in this second half so far. Just the one save, coming at the end of De Bruyne's stinging volley 46 minutes in at the Vitality Stadium.
66 minMANCHESTER CITY SUB! Nasri is indeed introduced for the final 25 minutes or so, on for Silva in midfield. Bournemouth also ready to make an alteration, but will first see how bad Ritchie's injury is. Twenty-four minutes left to play on the South Coast.
68 minBOURNEMOUTH SUB! Bournemouth make their second change of the afternoon - Elphick replacing Smith in defence. That means Francis will likely slot in at right-back for the final quarter of this match, as O'Kane fires wide upon the resumption of play.
70 minSince those changes Bournemouth have been the side more in control, earning a free kick in a wide position which they are unable to make the most of. One or two home supporters just beginning to head for the exits now with this match as good as over.
72 minSergio Aguero celebrates celebrating his first and Man City's third goal of the game. That arrived 19 minutes in, but since then the Citizens have not done a great deal to test Artur Boruc in the Bournemouth goal.
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74 minSAVE! A rare save for Boruc to make in this second half, as he keeps out Aguero's effort down low with his legs. The City striker was favourite to score from a few yards out, but credit to Boruc for quickly reacting.
76 minRitchie, over that knock picked up about 10 minutes ago, almost gives home supporters something to cheer about. His volley ended a good yard of the target in the end, though, and City's clean sheet still remains intact heading into the closing stages.
78 minMANCHESTER CITY SUB! Aguero has one goal this afternoon but perhaps could have had at least one more. The Argentinian forward has been replaced by Iheanacho, who is favoured to fellow back-up player Bony once again.
80 minIt could have been so much more for City had they kept their foot on the gas after racing three-nil ahead, but this game is badly petering out now with just a couple of shots on target in the second half. Both teams seemingly happy for full time at the Vitality Stadium.
82 minThe Citizens continuing to rack up their pass count, just toying with their opponents in midfield. City will head to Paris in midweek on a real high after this showing, and will still have plenty in the tank for that difficult European tie.
84 minHowe still has one change at his disposal, remember, as he watches on from the sidelines. It is now the Cherries' turn to get bodies forward, again doing little to really change to outcome of the match which has been petering out for a while now.
86 minBOURNEMOUTH SUB! Gradel, who was far less influential today than against Swansea a few weeks back, is replaced by Gosling. I thought we would see the ex-Everton man at half time, but he will only get a four-minute runout.
88 minYELLOW CARD! Fernando lunges in on Pugh and earns the game's first yellow card. That was probably deserved having escaped a caution for something similar a little earlier in the match.
90 minThree minutes of added time is signalled to be played at the end of the game, which proves the signal for many more home fans to leave. Time for one more City goal, but they have not really looked like adding to their lead in truth.
90+2 minGOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-4 MANCHESTER CITY (ALEKSANDAR KOLAROV)
90+3 minKolarov puts the icing on the cake with a rocket into the top corner of the home side's net. A fourth goal never looked like arriving, but that was some strike from the City sub!
90+4 minFULL TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 0-4 MANCHESTER CITY
4.52pmA comfortable victory for City in the end, then - just a third in their last eight outings. That is enough to move them four points clear of West Ham United in fourth, as the Hammers dropped points elsewhere this afternoon.
4.54pmBournemouth are not quite over the line at the moment, meanwhile, as they are two short of the magic 40-point mark which will usually guarantee safety. Well that concludes our live text coverage of events at the Vitality Stadium, but be sure to join us for coverage of the late kickoff between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur right here.
