Manchester City v Bournemouth: Premier League – live
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Manchester City's new manager, Enzo Maresca, marked his Premier League bow with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bournemouth, coming from behind through late goals from Marc Guéhi and Josko Gvardiol. Bournemouth had looked set to claim a first-ever away win at City after Marcus Tavernier's first-half strike exposed sloppy City defending, but two goals in the final ten minutes turned the match around and salvaged a disjointed opening performance under the former Leicester and Chelsea coach.
Guéhi, deployed unusually as a holding midfielder alongside £116m signing Elliot Anderson on his debut, headed home a Rayan Cherki corner in the 84th minute before substitute Cherki teed up Gvardiol for a stoppage-time winner confirmed by VAR after an initial offside call. Bournemouth, unbeaten in 18 league games under Andoni Iraola's successor Marco Rose, had dominated large spells, with Erling Haaland missing a chance on his 200th City appearance. The win follows a heavy 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, meaning City had conceded four unanswered goals across Maresca's first two fixtures before this late turnaround.
- Manchester City beat Bournemouth 2-1 with two late goals
- Guéhi and Gvardiol scored in Enzo Maresca's Premier League managerial debut
- Bournemouth led through Tavernier before City's late comeback
New here? Start with this
Manchester City are entering this game looking to bounce back after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth in last season's reverse fixture, a result that ended up handing the Premier League title to Arsenal. That shared history gives this opening-weekend meeting an extra layer of interest beyond the usual start-of-season stakes.
The match is being played at City's home ground, the Etihad Stadium, on the first Saturday of the new season, as part of a wider round of fixtures that has already thrown up some unexpected results. Arsenal, the reigning champions, made a strong start with a 3-0 win, while some established Premier League sides, including Manchester United, suffered surprise defeats to promoted or lower-placed opponents.
Because of those early shocks elsewhere, the form guide going into this fixture is less predictable than usual, adding to the uncertainty around how City and Bournemouth will fare against each other this time.
More coverage
- The Guardian — Guéhi and Gvardiol late show earns Manchester City dramatic win against Bournemouth
- BBC Sport — Maresca's Manchester City reign begins with dramatic comeback against Bournemouth