May 18 (Reuters) - Manchester City head to Bournemouth on Tuesday with confidence high after their FA Cup final win, but manager Pep Guardiola knows his side will have to snap the hosts’ 16-match unbeaten league run to keep their title hopes alive.
City travel to the south coast buoyed by their FA Cup triumph over Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday. Antoine Semenyo, who joined City from Bournemouth in January for 65 million pounds ($87.04 million), struck the game's only goal in the second half.
That victory kept City on course for a domestic treble, following their League Cup success against Arsenal in March. Guardiola's side sit two points behind league leaders Arsenal with two games remaining, setting up a tense title race run-in.
"It's a different competition, but it's always better to travel to Bournemouth with the feeling of winning the FA Cup than the opposite," Guardiola told reporters on Monday.
"They are 16 or 17 games unbeaten - their run is incredible. The only chance we have (to win the league) is to win the game, so we have to break that run; otherwise it will be over.
"This season again, what they have done with losing three players from the back four who had success last season, and still again they do it."
Bournemouth, pushing for European qualification, will be well-rested, having last played on May 9 at Fulham.
"They have had 10 days to prepare and are fighting for Champions League places, so they have an argument to be the best version of themselves," Guardiola said.
"We will be prepared the best way knowing what we have to do. It is not complicated - we have to win and take the hopes to the last game against Aston Villa."
City's title rivals Arsenal host already-relegated Burnley later on Monday.
"Here in England, teams always do their best," Guardiola added.
"Leeds United, who are already safe, went to Tottenham Hotspur and played incredibly to earn a draw. Brighton & Hove Albion, meanwhile, were fighting for Europe, but Leeds won yesterday. I have no doubt Burnley will try."
In a further boost, Guardiola said he had a fully fit squad available for the trip to sixth-placed Bournemouth.
($1 = 0.7468 pounds)
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
