"We defended not well" - Marco Rose left frustrated After Bournemouth suffer late collapse against Manchester City

Bournemouth produced a resilient performance against Manchester City before succumbing to pressure in the closing stages of the match. The defeat leaves Bournemouth reflecting on missed opportunities to secure a valuable point away from home, as defensive lapses ultimately cost them against the reigning champions.

Rose was pleased with the energy and tactical discipline his players displayed for over an hour, but he could not hide his frustration at how the team managed the decisive moments. Addressing the media, Rose said: "It's really disappointing. At the end we needed to finish the game. We had many good moments, we suffered, we found triggers to win balls, we had chances".

He added: "We reacted well to difficult phases of the game. But at the end we had two situations where we defended not well enough. One corner kick where we got blocked and one situation we were just too passive around our box."

Rose pulled no punches in his post-match assessment regarding the errors that led to the late goal, stating: "It is what it is. I saw some really good efforts and the basics were all good. We now have to work on details to win these kinds of games away."

"It's always difficult here because you know how good they are in possession. We did many things in the right way but in the end maybe it was a question of power. But if you see the clock ticking and it's five minutes to go you need to stay active," Rose expalined.

"You need to go forward and put them in uncomfortable situations. These are things we are going to speak about and we will try to do it better next time."

Despite the disappointing outcome, the fixture highlighted clear signs of tactical growth within the Bournemouth squad under Rose's leadership. The visitors restricted Manchester City to few clear-cut chances for much of the afternoon and transitioned effectively when regaining possession.

However, the manager emphasised that moral victories mean little without securing points on the board, urging his team to combine their structured setup with greater defensive resilience going forward. He said: "All in all it was a good away game from us. But you want to make your fans happy. We didn't do that today but we will do it in the next games."

Bournemouth will now turn their attention to their second Premier League game of the season against Everton on August 29 at the Vitality Stadium as they look to bounce back from this setback.

Rose will use the six days of training to address the defensive errors made late on, ensuring his squad is fully prepared to respond and secure their first win of the campaign in front of their home supporters.