Bournemouth will be looking to make a strong start to the 2026/27 Premier League season as they face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The Cherries will be seeking to cause an upset against the reigning champions, who are looking to get their season off to a winning start under new manager Enzo Maresca.

What happened?

The two sides last met in May 2026, with City securing a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium. The hosts struck first through Junior Kroupi, but Haaland equalized in the 90th minute.

Why it matters for Bournemouth

Bournemouth will be looking to build on their positive pre-season form and cause an upset against the reigning champions. The Cherries have been linked with several high-profile signings in the transfer window, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to make any major changes to their squad.

What comes next?

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 (UK). Bournemouth will be looking to make a strong start to the season and cause an upset against the reigning champions.

League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 11th in Premier League, 45 pts, 10W-15D-7L from 32 games, recent form WDDDD.

Goals this season: 48 scored, 49 conceded (-1 goal difference).

Title race: 25 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Next fixture: vs Aston Villa (away, 2027-02-10) (4th in the table).

Maresca's Press Conference

Enzo Maresca addressed the media on Friday afternoon, ahead of his first Premier League game in charge. He was asked about the availability of his squad and said: “At the moment, the only one [unavailable] is Jérémy Doku. “Then Matheus [Nunes] is back. Jérémy , but the rest are all okay.”

Matchday Live

As always, we will have an action-packed Matchday Live show to provide you with City-centric analysis before, during and after the game. The presenters will be Cel Spellman and Braydon Brent with Steven McInerney watching along from home, while David James and Nicky Weaver will be our studio guests.

Opposing Manager

Marco Rose is yet to face City as the Cherries boss, however we have come up against him on six occasions in the Champions League during his time at RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach. The German oversaw four matches against the Blues while in charge of Leipzig , drawing one and losing three. Rose also saw two 2-0 defeats in the 2020/21 season while at the Bundesliga side.

Training

Check out the best images from the City Football Academy and Friday’s training session. View more