Manchester City Beat Bournemouth 2-1 in Dramatic Maresca Home Debut

Manchester City came from behind to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, handing new manager Enzo Maresca a winning start to his first Premier League match at home.

City appeared destined for a frustrating opening-day defeat after Bournemouth took the lead through Marcus Tavernier in the 26th minute.

But two late goals transformed the contest, with Marc Guéhi equalising in the 84th minute before Josko Gvardiol struck in stoppage time to complete the comeback.

The decisive influence was substitute Rayan Cherki, who came off the bench and supplied both assists.

Cherki’s first major contribution came from a corner that Guéhi met with a powerful header to bring City level. The France international then produced another moment of quality in added time, slipping the ball through for Gvardiol, who finished into the corner.

Gvardiol’s goal initially appeared to have been ruled out for offside, but the decision was overturned following a VAR review, sparking huge celebrations among the City players and supporters.

The victory completed a remarkable turnaround after Bournemouth had frustrated City for much of the afternoon.

Tavernier had given the visitors the advantage after capitalising on a defensive lapse, and Bournemouth’s organised display kept City from finding a way through for long periods.

Erling Haaland had opportunities but was unable to find the target, while Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic also produced a number of important saves.

Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola as City’s manager, made a tactical surprise by deploying Guéhi in a midfield role alongside Elliot Anderson. The experiment initially struggled as Bournemouth exploited spaces in City’s shape, but the late introduction of Cherki proved decisive.

The Italian manager admitted afterwards that his team remains a work in progress, but the three points provide an important boost as City begin a new era following Guardiola’s departure.

For Bournemouth, the defeat was particularly painful after they had controlled large stretches of the game and looked set to secure an impressive result at the Etihad.

Instead, City’s late surge preserved their perfect home Premier League record against Bournemouth and gave Maresca the start he desperately wanted.

The final score: Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth.

Goals:

Manchester City — Marc Guéhi 84′

Manchester City — Josko Gvardiol 90+1′

Bournemouth — Marcus Tavernier 26′