ANDONI Iraola says he has complete trust in his players to create opportunities for his side against defending Premier League winners Manchester City.

Iraola is acutely aware of the task facing his Cherries team but is confident his players will create opportunities against the Citizens.

The Basque boss said Saturday’s opposition are ‘the best of the best’.

“They are the team who spends more time on possession, more time higher - normally you will be close to your goal a lot of time and it's always challenging and we are not very used to being those positions,” Iraola told to the Daily Echo.

“We have to keep our discipline, our patience, our tenacity.

(Image: Richard Crease) “You know, sometimes you go and then we decide to press and we don't recover.

“We have to go with the same intensity next time because sometimes you go, your press is perfect, but they play boom, boom, boom, boom, and they are out.

“So it's not like if you give too early, you will be without the ball all the game.

“It's very difficult.”

With some level of expectation to be on the back foot for large parts of the game, Iraola said he feels the Aston Villa game, where the Cherries drew 1-1, was good preparation for the team.

He explained: “It's not the same kind of game, tactically, everything is different.

“But we went through difficult moments in that game and altogether, I think we stayed in the game and we will have to be the same tomorrow because it doesn't matter how we will play, there will be moments for sure.

“They will push us, we will be under pressure and we have to stay together. Do the defensive basics very well, the blocks, everything, the clearances, the one against ones.

(Image: Richard Crease) “This will keep us in the game and then we know and we trust our players enough to know that we will have also our chances because we are having a lot.

“So, I think even if we are playing City, there will be moments for us also.”

Asked about his side’s mentality coming into the game off the back of two fantastic results against Arsenal and Villa, Iraola said his team know that even their best may not be enough for a result.

“When you play against City, everyone knows that maybe 100% is not enough,” he said.

“So don't give 86 because definitely it's not going to be enough.

“They know better than me that if they don't give everything they have, there is not even a discussion.

(Image: Richard Crease) “I'm not worried about this, because I know they are the first ones that will be very alert and it will be the opposite.

“Sometimes you have to tell them they are very, very good, but we also are good and you can damage the City players also.

“In this way I think the Arsenal game could serve as a reference, knowing that tactically probably is not the same.”

AFC Bournemouth face Manchester City at 3pm on Saturday, November 2 at the Vitality Stadium.