MANCHESTER CITY gave Kevin De Bruyne a send off to remember as they beat Bournemouth 2-0 and took a step closer to securing Champions League football.
De Bruyne waved goodbye to the Etihad faithful for the final time as a Man City player as he was substituted in the 69th minute of the match.
Omar Marmoush got the party started for the hosts with a spectacular long-range effort that found the top corner.
While De Bruyne almost managed to double the lead himself, if not for perhaps his worst miss in a Man City shirt – clattering the crossbar from inside the six-yard box faced with an open goal.
It didn’t matter though, as Bernardo Silva slotted home a second before the half-time whistle and all-but guaranteed three points for City.
Things looked like they could be a bit harder in the second half when Mateo Kovacic was sent off for pulling back Evanilson on a counter-attack in the 67th minute.
But Lewis Cook made sure to even the playing field by seeing red himself just six minuted later for a dangerous tackle on Nico Gonzalez.
In the dying minutes Nico added a third for City with a guided finish to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga.
However, Bournemouth were able to grab one for themselves too as Daniel Jebbison got the better of Ederson with a few seconds on the clock.
City are now in pole position for a Champions League spot next season, but will still need to get a result when they visit Fulham on Sunday to prevent a surprising fall outside the top five.
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