Late drama at the Etihad
Manchester City marked Enzo Maresca's first Premier League match as manager with a late comeback victory, scoring twice in the final stages to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Multiple outlets including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Canberra Times, breakingnews.ie, The Independent and rte.ie reported that City overturned a first-half deficit through Marc Guehi's equaliser and Josko Gvardiol's stoppage-time winner.
Marcus Tavernier had given Bournemouth the lead in the first half. According to reports carried by The Independent, The Guardian and others, the visitors capitalised on defensive uncertainty, with Evanilson's cross allowing Tavernier to tap in at the far post. City created several opportunities before and after the opener but struggled to convert them. Erling Haaland, making his 200th appearance for the club and sporting a new close-cropped haircut noted across several accounts, missed a clear chance from close range after a cross from Nico O'Reilly. Guehi himself headed wide from a promising position earlier in the second half.
The equaliser arrived in the 84th minute. Rayan Cherki, introduced as a substitute around the hour mark, delivered a corner that Guehi headed home, with some reports noting a deflection off Adrien Truffert that left goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic stranded. Then, in the first minute of stoppage time, Cherki again provided the decisive pass, teeing up Gvardiol who finished into the bottom corner. The goal was initially flagged for offside before a VAR review overturned the decision and awarded it, sparking celebrations. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Canberra Times, The Straits Times and others detailed the VAR intervention and the ensuing scenes on the touchline, where Maresca punched the air and embraced his players.
Cherki's impact and tactical choices
Cherki's introduction proved pivotal. Oxford Mail and The Straits Times reported that the Frenchman set up both City goals after entering the match with roughly half an hour remaining. Maresca later described his impact as unbelievable, while noting that several players were still building full match fitness following late returns from international duty.
Maresca deployed Guehi in an unfamiliar holding midfield role alongside new signing Elliot Anderson, a decision highlighted by BBC — World, The Independent, The Guardian, Oxford Mail and Nbc Sports. Guehi, better known as a centre-back, had worked on the position during the week. Maresca explained he had known Guehi from his Crystal Palace days and always believed he could operate effectively in midfield. Guehi himself told Nbc Sports he was surprised by the assignment but that the team had prepared for it, adding that support from Anderson and experienced defenders helped him through the game. Gvardiol, speaking after the match, emphasised the importance of the three points in an opening fixture following significant summer changes at the club.
City finished with greater shot volume, recorded in one account as 13 attempts to Bournemouth's five, and dominated possession for long periods. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made important saves, including efforts from Justin Kluivert and others, according to BBC — World player assessments. Defensive lapses were noted in the build-up to Bournemouth's goal, with Manchester Evening News pointing to positioning issues involving Rico Lewis and others in the back line.
Atmosphere and context
A large banner and tifo reading "Welcome back Enzo" greeted Maresca as he emerged for his first home match as head coach, a detail reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Canberra Times, The Straits Times, The Guardian and others. Maresca, who served as Pep Guardiola's assistant during City's treble-winning 2022-23 season, wore a black suit on the touchline. The occasion followed a 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal the previous weekend, and came against the backdrop of departures including Rodri to Barcelona.
Bournemouth arrived under new manager Marco Rose for his first match in charge. Rose's side had been competitive and arrived with a strong recent league record under the previous coach, though they ultimately left without points. City's late surge recalled the never-say-die quality associated with previous campaigns under Guardiola, as noted in several match descriptions.
Manager and player perspectives
Maresca struck a balanced tone after the final whistle. As quoted by The Canberra Times, Oxford Mail, The Straits Times and The Guardian, he called it "the perfect day" and said the spirit was fantastic, while expressing pleasure at the fans' welcome banner and the three points delivered. At the same time he described the team as a work in progress, telling The Guardian he felt in a similar position to after the Community Shield loss and that several starters including Haaland, Anderson, Guehi and O'Reilly were effectively still in pre-season. He added that the side had created enough chances to win earlier and that fitness levels would improve.
On Guehi's midfield experiment, Maresca said he had always thought the player could fill the role and that it now offered a future solution. Regarding Cherki, he praised the substitute's quality while explaining selection decisions around players returning late.
Bournemouth manager Marco Rose, speaking after his debut, said he was pleased with the overall display but not the result. According to Oxford Mail and The Guardian, he felt his team had defended too passively in the two key situations that led to City's goals and noted they had come close to a first away win at the Etihad.
Gvardiol told Nbc Sports that everyone was proud of the moment, especially given the opening fixture and recent squad changes, and stressed the need to recover quickly for the next match away at Crystal Palace. Guehi reiterated that the midfield role had been the manager's idea and that it had paid off with help from teammates.
The result leaves Maresca with a first Premier League win and three points to build on as City continue their adjustment under new leadership.