City back in top 4 as KDB bids farewell to Etihad

Manchester City gave Kevin De Bruyne a victory in his final appearance at Etihad Stadium, as Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez scored in a 3-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth on Tuesday that saw them climb to third in the table.

City have 68 points with one game remaining, two points above Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa in the nervy chase for a top-five finish and Champions League qualification.

Both sides finished the game with 10 men after City's Mateo Kovacic was shown a red card in the 67th minute, followed by Lewis Cook for the visitors in the 73rd.

But the night belonged to captain De Bruyne, who played an emotional final game at Etihad Stadium after an illustrious 10-year career for City.

The Belgian, however, had a ridiculous first-half miss, hammering Marmoush's cross off the underside of the crossbar from close range and then holding his head in disbelief.

De Bruyne hugged his teammates when he was subbed off in the 69th minute to a standing ovation and remained on the field celebrating and waving goodbye to fans while a tribute video for "King Kev" played in the stadium.

"I said I just have to be there, it's going to come," De Bruyne said of the miss. "It's terrible. There's no excuses. My son is going to be very tough on me today."

Marmoush scored in the 14th minute when he drifted forward before unleashing a scorcher from 30 yards out that dipped just inside the top-left corner.

Silva doubled their lead in the 38th when Ilkay Gundogan cut the ball back for the Portuguese who slotted it in at the near post. Gonzalez scored in the 89th with a run from deep before whipping the ball past goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Daniel Jebbison pulled one back for Bournemouth seconds before the final whistle.

Midfielder Rodri saw his first action in eight months, as a late substitute, entering the game to a standing ovation. The 2024 Ballon D'Or winner had not played since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in September.

De Bruyne has lifted 16 trophies since joining City in 2015 -- a haul that includes six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.

Regarded as one of the league's greatest ever midfielders, the Belgian was central to City's success, but has struggled with injuries in recent seasons. Still, the 33-year-old admitted to a "little bit [of shock]" that he was not offered a new contract by City, and has said he believes he can still play in the Premier League.