Defender John Stones is back in Manchester City's starting XI for the game against Bournemouth. Gabriel Jesus is also back, taking his spot on the bench. The pair have missed City's last three games with groin and hamstring injuries respectively. Bournemouth made the late call on Callum Wilson to decide that his knee problem had not settled enough to be involved but David Brooks starts against his former club. Bournemouth: Boruc, Clyne, Mepham, Ake, Smith, Simpson, Fraser, Brooks, Surman, Daniels, King. Subs: Gosling, Mousset, Ibe, Rico, Begovic, Taylor, Surridge. Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Silva, Bernardo Silva, Aguero, Sterling. Subs: Danilo, Kompany, Sane, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Foden, Muric. UK viewing: The game is unavailable for watching on TV or via live stream due to the Saturday 3pm blackout.<doc-sep>Pep Guardiola's champions know they can keep it tight at the top of the table with a win on the South Coast against Eddie Howe's out-of-sorts Cherries With their first piece of major silverware of the season already in the rearview mirror, Manchester City return their attention to defending their Premier League crown when they travel to Bournemouth this weekend. Pep Guardiola's Sky Blues are looking to make it consecutive top-flight titles for the first time this season, but have been pushed into second in the race for glory by Liverpool. They only trail the Reds by a point however and with a run of relatively soft domestic fixtures throughout March, they will be hopeful not to slip up in their quest to regain the summit. Eddie Howe's Cherries gave Chelsea a pasting in early February but have since taken one point in their last four games, leaving them in the bottom half of the table - and though City will be under no illusions, they will hope such form bodes well for their chances at taking the three points. Game Bournemouth vs Manchester City Date Saturday, March 2 Time 3:00pm GMT / 10:00am ET TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch In the United States (US), the game will be broadcast on Telemundo Deportes En Vivo and streamed on NBC Sports Live. US TV channel Online stream Telemundo Deportes En Vivo NBC Sports Live In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcast or streamed as it falls within the blackout period. However, Goal will be providing minute-by-minute coverage on our live blog of the game. UK TV channel Online stream N/A N/A Squads & Team News Position Bournemouth players Goalkeepers Boruc, Begovic, Travers Defenders Ake, Daniels, Rico, Mings, Simpson, Clyne, Smith, Mepham Midfielders Surman, Pugh, Ibe, Stanislas, Fraser, Ofoborh, Gosling Forwards Mousset, King, Solanke, Wilson Confirmed Bournemouth starting XI : Boruc; Clyne, Mepham, Simpson, Daniels; Smith, Ake, Surman, Fraser; Brooks; King. Position Man City players Goalkeepers Ederson, Grimshaw, Muric Defenders Walker, Danilo, Laporte, Otamendi, Sandler, Zinchenko, Kompany, Mendy Midfielders Gundogan, De Bruyne, B. Silva, D. Silva, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden Forwards Aguero, Sterling, Sane Confirmed Man City starting XI : Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Gundogan, Silva; Bernardo, Aguero, Sterling. Betting & Match Odds Manchester City are the odds-on favourites to prevail, at 2/9 with bet365 . Bournemouth are priced at the more distant 12/1 while a draw is available at 13/2. Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more. Match Preview With a Carabao Cup under their belt for the second season running after a penalty shoot-out win against Chelsea, Manchester City can return their focus to the matter of making history as they seek to retain the Premier League title for the first time. Pep Guardiola’s side edged out a defiant West Ham thanks to Sergio Aguero’s penalty in their previous game but still remain one point off the pace of league leaders Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp’s side determinedly holding on to the summit. A thrashing of Watford by the Reds has given them some additional momentum, something City will look to replicate when they travel to Bournemouth this weekend. Eddie Howe’s Cherries have been battered by major injuries this season and have slowly seen their once-bright European hopes dim after all their best efforts. They are however more than capable of delivering big results, having beaten Chelsea 4-0 in early February – and with time running out for City to overhaul Liverpool, the pressure could get to the Sky Blues. Raheem Sterling however says that City will not be suffocated, stating that he felt a greater burden when playing for the Reds four years ago when they fell agonisingly short. “When I was there I did feel a lot more pressure than when I'm here,” he stated in the build-up. Article continues below “On a matchday with the fans, I think that would get to us a little bit. But, at the same time, we were in control. “We had an opportunity to see it through and we didn't.” Sterling will likely take those experiences forward into helping ensure that City don’t also falter in their ambitions, though with the season drawing towards its close, it remains an intriguing battle for whom will blink first.<doc-sep>✕ Close Pep Guardiola hails Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany Follow the latest updates from the Premier League live as Manchester City travel to Bournemouth. Pep Guardiola’s resources are depleted with Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte both out injured, while Sergio Aguero has complained of exhaustion, but Gabriel Jesus and John Stones are both back and fully fit. Bournemouth are struggling for form after such an impressive first half of the season, so a shock win against the champions would be a timely boost. Follow it live: Please allow a moment for the blog to load.<doc-sep>Manchester City kept pressure on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table by beating Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium. The Blues are two points clear at the top of the table ahead of Liverpool's game against Everton on Sunday. Riyad Mahrez came off the bench to register his first league strike in nine games after Bournemouth had frustrated City with a stubborn defensive showing in the first half. Pep Guardiola was handed two further injury concerns on the south coast, however, with Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones both withdrawn with muscle injuries. De Bruyne looked to have tweaked his hamstring. Bournemouth failed to register a single shot on goal and City recorded 84% of the possession for a second-consecutive game after their 1-0 victory against West Ham at the Etihad on Wednesday night. We will bring you all the reaction from City's win throughout the evening.<doc-sep>
Competition/Round: 2018/19 English Premier League Season – Matchday 29 Date/Time: AFC Bournemouth vs Manchester City – Saturday, 2 March 2019, 15:00 GMT (UK); 10:00 EST, 07:00 PST (USA) Venue: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom Match Officials: Referee: Kevin Friend Assistant Referees: Matthew Wilkes, Adrian Holmes Fourth Official: David Coote TV Info: CNBC (USA) Live Stream: NBC Sports Live, Fubo.tv (USA) Fubo.tv shows every Manchester City game with a high-quality and legal stream. New to Fubo.tv? Click here to sign up for a discounted rate. Radio: BBC Radio Manchester (UK); TalkSport Radio World (USA) Preview: Following a series of entertaining matches in midweek, the English Premier League is back underway. AFC Bournemouth will host Manchester City on Saturday. The Cherries looked deflated in their 5-1 routing at Arsenal on Wednesday. Bournemouth have now lost three of their last five games, with their last victory coming in January. They do not appear to be the same side that shocked Chelsea, and they could be in store for a long night as they host the current champions of England. Yet fatigue has also affected the Blues. Having played 120 minutes of football on Sunday in the EFL Cup Final, which was decided by a penalty shoot out, City looked flat footed on Wednesday. A converted penalty was enough to see out a stubborn West Ham United side, albeit City cannot afford to continue riding out their luck. They will have to improve their style of play should they challenge for the EPL title this season. Team News: Bournemouth are without the injured Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Steve Cook are injured and will not feature in this match. Lewis Cook and Simon Francis are out for the season. Jefferson Lerma is suspended for this game. Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus and John Stones are injured and will not feature in this match. Calduio Bravo and Benjamin Mendy returned to training, and it is predicted the latter will start in this match. Possible Lineups: AFC Bournemouth Formation: 4-4-2 Boruc; Clyne, Mepham, Aké, Rico; Ibe, Gosling, Surman, Fraser; Mousset, King Manager: Eddie Howe Manchester City Formation: 4-3-3 Ederson; Danilo, Kompany, Otamendi, Mendy; Gündoğan, Delph, Foden; Sterling, Agüero, Sané Manager: Pep Guardiola Prediction: Bournemouth are nine points clear of the relegation zone, but a series of poor performances could see them enter the relegation battle with less than ten games remaining in the 2018/19 EPL season. Therefore, manager Eddie Howe and his men will look to avoid this possibility at all costs. They have earned some impressive results this season, and as they look to stay afloat in the EPL, the Cherries may prove to be a difficult side for the champions. Manchester City are also on course to retain the EPL title, albeit league leaders Liverpool are ahead by a point. Should City wish to contend for the title, they will have to overcome their fatigue and other difficulties that have plagued the team. This is easier said than done. Nonetheless, City have the strength and depth in their squad to keep pace with Liverpool. It will be a difficult fixture for them, but by full time it is predicted the Blues will edge out in this cagey affair. Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City