The only chance City had in the first half came when Oscar Bobb dribbled past two defenders. His shot was saved by Mark Flekken, only for the ball to be cleared off the line by Ben Mee in the 71st minute. Sam Lee analyses an important win for City in the title race.
The performance on the pitch and the similarity in atmosphere inside the stadium stood out. The City players were impatient and rushed for most of the game, and the fans were impatient as well. It is hard to imagine City's performance or fans' mood not staying at the same level if Haaland hadn't done the business. The City fans demanded Ederson to play the ball forward quickly in the first half, but the coach told them to calm down with his universal gesture. When the team is not playing to the desired standard and there is frustration in the air, the crowd usually sings 'Come on, City!'. Nothing was done at the right speed and nothing gelled properly.
The importance of Haaland's goal cannot be overstated. He did exactly what he was supposed to do against the Bees, even though he did not get a chance to score a goal or paper. His mood seems to have gone down in the last couple of weeks, with the manager pushing away a camera after the Blues and City drew. Haaland, who is praised by his team-mates for his relaxed approach to taking chances and is always certain that he will score the next one, has seemed to let things on the pitch get to him a little. It was fortunate for City that the goal came, even though he missed a number of similar opportunities throughout the season. City will need more of them in the coming months if they continue to struggle against teams.
The team news leaked out via the accounts, with Bobb starting and Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake on the bench. On Tuesday, when asked if John Stones was fit enough to play two games in a week, he replied: "He can do it, but also Manu needs to come back to his form." In the previous game againstEverton, Manu was not in his best rhythm and we needed everyone to be in his best rhythm.
It shone a light on the importance of rotating the squad at this time of year in order to get as many players as possible in top shape. It feels as if the period that started at the weekend was already begun, and perhaps it was a decision that had negative consequences in the here and now. Ensuring players are ready to give everything in the April and May months has been a key part of City's success over the years. The dashboard shows how much City were camped in their opponent's half.
The City manager will speak after the match.
Bournemouth have never beaten City in 20 attempts since the first match in the Championship in December 1987 and it was 6-1 to City when they met in November. 25 years ago this month, City were held to a draw by Gillingham in the play-off final, ending their winning streak at 11.
The top photo is Catherine Ivill.