Kevin De Bruyne marked his final home appearance for Manchester City with a victory, as Pep Guardiola’s side defeated Bournemouth 3-1 to move within touching distance of next season’s Champions League.
In a match that saw both teams reduced to 10 men, City bounced back from their FA Cup final disappointment against Crystal Palace to boost their chances of a top-five Premier League finish.
Now sitting third, City need only a point in their final game at Fulham on Sunday to confirm their return to Europe’s elite competition.
While much of the pre-match focus was on De Bruyne’s farewell at the Etihad, the crowd also welcomed the long-awaited return of Rodri, who hadn’t featured since September.
The hosts took the lead through a spectacular strike from Omar Marmoush—his eighth goal since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt in January.
The Egyptian forward unleashed a swerving 30-yard shot that crashed in off the post, setting the tone early.
De Bruyne had a golden opportunity to get on the scoresheet but astonishingly fired onto the crossbar from close range after a pass from Marmoush left him with an open goal.
City doubled their lead through Bernardo Silva, who poked home after a spell of pressure.
Despite controlling the match, City’s defensive fragility was evident as Bournemouth’s Evanilson came close, stretching to meet a cross and striking the post—one of a league-leading 23 times the Cherries have hit the woodwork this season.
Nico Gonzalez, who later replaced De Bruyne in the 69th minute to a standing ovation, sealed the result with his first City goal.
Though Dan Jebbison pulled one back for the visitors in stoppage time, it was too late to revive their European ambitions.
Discipline issues marred the latter stages, with Mateo Kovacic shown a straight red card for dragging down Evanilson, who was through on goal.
Bournemouth’s captain Lewis Cook soon followed, dismissed for a reckless lunge on Gonzalez.
Guardiola was candid post-match, acknowledging that this season has fallen short of expectations.
With no major trophies and a relinquished Premier League title, Champions League qualification now stands as the only consolation.
For Bournemouth, the loss confirmed the end of their European hopes, capping a strong season with a late slump—just one win in their last five.
Transfer interest is already swirling around several key players, with Dean Huijsen set to join Real Madrid and others like Milos Kerkez attracting attention from City and Liverpool.
Ultimately, the night belonged to De Bruyne, who made his 142nd and final home league appearance.
Though denied a goal, the 33-year-old left the pitch to thunderous applause, closing an era at the Etihad with one last influential performance.
