Pep Guardiola’s Blues enter this weekend's game in second after a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest last Saturday.
That result, coupled with a 4-2 win for Arsenal on the road against Aston Villa earlier in the day, saw the Gunners regain top spot.
All of that left City two points adrift of Arsenal, and with their title rivals also possessing a game in hand, three points against relegation-threatened opposition will be seen as a must to avoid losing further ground in the race for domestic supremacy.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth managed to escape the drop zone with a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last time out.
However, there is still very little margin for error for the Cherries who remain just one point above the bottom three, a bottom three they will be keen not to fall straight back into.
Team News
Bournemouth
Bournemouth fans were dealt a significant blow on Friday, as boss Gary O’Neil revealed that the scorer of the winning goal against Wolves, midfielder Marcus Tavernier, will not be available this weekend.
O'Neil said: ''[Marcus] Tavernier will be missing for the game after last weekend.
"He's had some tests done and there are a few more next week."
It was also confirmed that Bournemouth will still be without David Brooks, Lloyd Kelly, Lewis Cook and Illia Zabarnyi.
Man City
Manchester City supporters received an update on three of their players, namely Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones, as Pep Guardiola faced the media in his pre-match press conference.
Asked about the likelihood of any of those names featuring on Saturday, Guardiola said: ‘’We will see later.
‘’Maybe Kevin [De Bruyne], but the other two, I don’t think so.’’
De Bruyne and Laporte missed Wednesday’s 1-1 draw in the Champions League round of 16 against RB Leipzig through illness, whilst Stones has not featured for nearly a month as he recovers from a hamstring injury sustained in an FA Cup fourth round tie against Arsenal.
Likely Line-ups
Bournemouth
Neto; Smith, Stephens, Senesi, Zemura; Ouattara, Lerma, Billing, Anthony; Traore; Solanke
Man City
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake; Rodri, Silva; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland
Key Players
Bournemouth- Dominic Solanke
Three goals in 18 Premier League games may not initially scream ‘danger man’, but the 25-year-old striker’s total of seven goal contributions sees him tied for the most by a Bournemouth player this season.
Solanke shares that accolade with the injured Tavernier, and it was that very duo that linked up for the only goal in the win at Wolves.
With Tavernier's absence now confirmed, Solanke will have to shoulder an even bigger responsibility on Saturday, and will likely have to play a pivotal role if his side are to have any chance of causing an upset.
Man City- Erling Haaland
The Norwegian may not have been firing at his frightening early-season rate in recent weeks, but the Premier League’s leading goalscorer remains the most obvious threat for City whenever he steps out onto the pitch.
Remarkably, despite a 4-0 win for the Cityzens in the reverse fixture in August, Bournemouth remain one of the few sides Haaland is yet to score against in the Premier League, and chances are he will be hungry to put that right this time around.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
As mentioned, Manchester City are making the long trip from the north-west to the south coast, with the match taking place at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
This clash represents the first of two televised late kick-offs this Saturday, with the action in this one scheduled to get underway at 5:30 PM GMT.
How can I watch?
Viewers in the UK can tune in to the game via Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR, with coverage beginning from 5 PM GMT.