AFC Bournemouth arrived for the last three of the nine seasons, after six outside the Premier League. Against City the record is short: six league games, six defeats, two goals scored and 21 conceded. The first meeting, at City in October 2015, finished 5–1, and three more ended 4–0, one of them at home. Take City out and not one point comes off.
So every move is the table shifting around them. In 2015/16 that is the free place, the one every club below City gets, and nothing more: 16th becomes 15th of 19 on 42 points, level with Crystal Palace.
In 2016/17 they go further. Beaten 4–0 at City and 2–0 at home, Bournemouth keep all 46 points and finish seventh of 19, not ninth. They are one of five clubs that climb two places that season, with Arsenal, West Brom, Stoke and Palace.
In 2017/18 it happens again. Beaten 2–1 at home in August and 4–0 at City in December, they keep 44 points and finish tenth, not 12th, level with Newcastle in ninth. Bournemouth pass Palace, one of only two pairs of clubs that truly swap places that season.
No player moved between Bournemouth and City in the nine seasons, so there is no transfer money for the rebuild to take away.