BOURNEMOUTH FAN VIEW: 5 reasons why the Cherries can upset the odds and win at Manchester City

I am often known as being almost comically pessimistic by the AFC Bournemouth fans I attend matches with. I refused to believe we were up before the final game of the season, Charlton away, last season for example – despite only a 20-goal swing having to occur for us to not snag promotion.

When better than to turn over to a new and more optimistic leaf than when the club is playing at the top tier for the first time in its history though? With that in mind, I’ve assembled a list – which comprises five reasons on how we can overturn the odds and get a result at the Etihad Stadium this weekend…maybe.

1 – Nothing to lose

Games against the goliaths of the Premier League for newly-promoted sides are often seen as a free throw – but it’s not really a free throw. It’s more like a free throw that you have to take while blindfolded and facing the wrong way.

With our attacking style of football we have the weapons to surprise though – and if it all clicks and we get some luck the Etihad Stadium could be largely silenced on Saturday. You could argue that this philosophy could also leave us wide open to get ruthlessly picked apart by City’s vast array of international superstars - but that’s negative thinking and has no place in this article.

2 – The international break

Usually the international break is bemoaned by all as a drawn out and tedious affair – not helped by the fact that it usually involves having to watch the England national team. Or an exercise in avoiding watching them at all costs as the case may be.

As an AFC Bournemouth fan perhaps the break came as a blessing however. Our two previous results – a disappointing draw with Watford and an unfortunate loss to Stoke – did not do much to lift spirits, so a potentially crushing defeat to a Manchester City that had just dismantled Newcastle United could have been a real hammer blow.

The break has given the squad a chance to regroup though – and there’s also the fact that Sergio Agüero, pretty much the sole destroyer of the Magpies last month, is now out due to an unfortunate hamstring injury. Twinkletoed midfield playmaker David Silva also suffered ankle ligament damage playing for his country – with the Spaniard often considered to be what made City tick.

Meanwhile the vast majority of the AFC Bournemouth team had time to prepare and train during the break, with the one squad member who did actually participate in the Euro 2016 qualifiers – Matt Ritchie for Scotland – scoring with a stunning strike against Poland. Which can only help his confidence when we travel to Manchester.

3 – City driven to distraction

Remember when you used to like Manchester City as a plucky underdog, as a team always battling away fruitlessly against the sheer might of its titanic neighbour Manchester United?

Those days are now long gone, and although Manchester City are still capable of making hard work of almost any situation (just like old times!), they are far more often an imperious and truly terrifying attacking force.

But with this new power comes great responsibility – and by this I mean a much larger fixture list. City have to play Sevilla in the Champions League the Wednesday after their showdown with AFCB, and then have the small matter of a local derby with The Red Devils the weekend following that.

With these matches in mind Manchester City fans and players might just have taken their eye off a home fixture against the smallest club to ever grace the Premier League. Which gives us a chance to land a surprising blow if they choose to underestimate us even slightly.

4 – Glenn Murray

After Callum Wilson’s long-term injury a lot of AFC Bournemouth fans hopes are now pinned on Glenn Murray – and he has the chance to make himself a club legend in just a single season if he scores enough goals to keep the club in the Premier League.

There’s a chance he could well add to his tally this weekend too. Remember when Manchester City lost to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park near the end of last season – can you recall which Eagles striker was giving the Citizen’s back four so much trouble? You don’t get any prizes for guessing the correct answer here – but it’s an answer that can only be a positive sign for AFC Bournemouth fans when it comes to this weekend’s fixture.

5 – The last time we played

We drew 0-0. Yes it may have taken place in 1999 in the old Division Two (and at Dean Court, not Maine Road) – but I’ll take whatever positives I can when it comes to preparing for Saturday’s match.

Now you could also point out that we’ve never beaten Manchester City in any competitive fixture over the 6 games we’ve played against each other – but that would mean the whole positive drive of this article would be lost in the final paragraph. And I simply can’t have that.