Bournemouth Suffer Late Defeat in Manchester City Opener
Manchester City made a winning start to life without Pep Guardiola as late goals from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory against Bournemouth on Sunday in Enzo Maresca's first Premier League game as the Spaniard's replacement.
Bournemouth took the lead through Marcus Tavernier's first half goal, but City staged a pulsating fightback in the final minutes. Guehi headed City's equaliser with six minutes left before Gvardiol stroked in the stoppage-time winner.
The result is a boost for Maresca, who insists he can replicate Guardiola's trophy haul if he is given time to handle the 'big changes' at the club. City's lacklustre 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in last weekend's Community Shield raised questions about their ability to keep pace with the Premier League champions this season.
For much of their top-flight opener, City were again short of inspiration in attack and cohesion at the back. But they found a way to dig out a result that allowed Maresca to breathe a sigh of relief.
It is a time of major upheaval at City, with Rodri, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Tijjani Reijnders all leaving and Savinho set to join Tottenham. England midfielder Elliot Anderson has been Maresca's only major signing and he was unimpressive before hobbling off in the second half.
City are set to sign teenage Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in a deal worth £86 million ($117 million), according to reports on Sunday. But more new recruits will be needed if City are to close the gap on Arsenal.
What Happened?
The match report from the BBC highlights the dramatic late comeback from Manchester City, with Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol scoring crucial goals to snatch a 2-1 victory against Bournemouth.
Why it Matters for Bournemouth
The loss is a setback for Bournemouth, who were hoping to build on their recent form. The Cherries have been unbeaten in their last five games, but were unable to hold on to their lead against Manchester City.
What Comes Next?
Bournemouth will look to bounce back from their defeat when they face Ipswich in their next fixture. The Cherries will be hoping to get back to winning ways and climb up the Premier League table.
Bournemouth currently sit 6th in the Premier League table, with 57 points from 38 games. They have scored 58 goals and conceded 54, with a +4 goal difference. They are 28 points behind leaders Arsenal and have a recent form of DDDDW.
