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The Match
Today, Manchester City played against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. The match finished 3-1 to Manchester City. It was an important game in the Premier League.
Manchester City moved up to second place in the league table with 19 points, while Bournemouth dropped to fourth place with 18 points.
First Half
The match was very exciting. Erling Haaland scored the first goal for Manchester City in the 17th minute. He ran a long way with the ball and scored. Manchester City were winning 1-0.
Eight minutes later, something surprising happened. Tyler Adams scored for Bournemouth in the 25th minute. It was his first goal in English football. The score was now 1-1. Both teams were playing well.
But Manchester City scored again before half-time. Haaland got his second goal in the 33rd minute. He ran fast and scored again. At half-time, Manchester City were winning 2-1.
Second Half
In the second half, Manchester City were the better team. Nico O'Reilly scored a beautiful goal in the 60th minute. The score was now 3-1. O'Reilly played as a left back, which means he usually defends, but he scored a good goal.
Bournemouth tried to score more goals, but Manchester City defended well. The match finished 3-1.
Star Player
Erling Haaland was the star of the match. He now has 13 goals this season in the Premier League. He has seven more goals than any other player. He is very close to scoring 100 Premier League goals in total. He has 98 goals now.
The Teams Before The Match
Before this game, both teams were in good form. Manchester City came into the match after losing to Aston Villa last week. They needed to win to stay close to Arsenal, who are the league leaders.
Bournemouth were having a great season. They were in second place before this match. They had not lost a game for eight matches. Their coach, Andoni Iraola, has done a very good job this season.
What This Result Means
This was an important win for Manchester City. They are now six points behind Arsenal, who are first in the league. Manchester City's coach, Pep Guardiola, was happy with the result.
For Bournemouth, it was disappointing to lose. But they are still having a very good season. Being in fourth place is excellent for them.
Next Matches
Manchester City have two very difficult matches next week. They play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday. Then they play Liverpool in the Premier League next Sunday. These will be hard games.
Conclusion
Today's match was entertaining and fast. Manchester City were too strong for Bournemouth. Haaland's two goals were the difference between the teams. Manchester City showed they are still one of the best teams in England.
The result keeps Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title. For Bournemouth, they can be proud of their season so far. One loss does not change that they are having a great year.
Glossary
Premier League - the top football league in England
Etihad Stadium - Manchester City's football ground (the place where they play)
league table - the list showing which teams are winning the most games
first half - the first 45 minutes of a football match
half-time - the break in the middle of a match (after 45 minutes)
second half - the last 45 minutes of a football match
scored a goal - when a player kicks the ball into the net
left back - a player who defends on the left side of the team
defends - tries to stop the other team from scoring
in good form - playing well recently
coach - the person who trains the team and tells them how to play (also called a manager)
league leaders - the team in first place in the league
the Champions League - a competition for the best teams in Europe
title - being the winner of the league or competition
entertaining - fun and exciting to watch
the difference - what made one team better than the other
race - competition (here, the competition to win the league)
