Enzo Maresca takes charge of Manchester City for his first Premier League game
Manchester City enter the transition without departed stars Bernardo Silva, Rodri, and John Stones
Bournemouth begin their season under new manager Marco Rose, carrying an 18-match unbeaten league run
Enzo Maresca takes charge of Manchester City for his first Premier League game against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The match begins the post-Pep Guardiola era in Manchester, following 10 glorious, trophy-laden years under Guardiola.
The squad faces a major rebuild. Key players Bernardo Silva, Rodri and John Stones left the club this summer. This transition follows a 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal last weekend, where Maresca equalled the worst defeat for any debuting Manchester City manager, sportsmole.co.uk reported.
Maresca remains confident despite the recent defeat. The 46-year-old former Chelsea boss wants to reclaim the Premier League trophy and end a two-year title drought for the club.
Maresca said he is convinced his team can achieve something important at such a huge organisation.
Opening Day Trends
History favors Manchester City on opening day. The club secured maximum points in 14 of their last 15 season openers, failing only during a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham in the 2021-22 campaign. Recent managerial history also points to a home win. The last four bosses all won their first Premier League matches, with Mark Hughes in August 2008 representing the last manager to lose his debut.
City dominate this home fixture. The hosts have beaten Bournemouth in all nine Premier League clashes at the Etihad, outscoring them 34-6 while averaging 3.8 goals per game. Manchester City have also avoided consecutive home league defeats since May 2021.
Bournemouth enter the season under new manager Marco Rose, the former RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund boss succeeding Andoni Iraola, with an 18-match unbeaten league run carried over from last term (W8 D10). The 49-year-old German coach takes over a resilient squad fresh off a historic sixth-placed finish, suffering only seven defeats in 38 games.
The Cherries struggle on opening day. They secured just two wins in nine previous season openers, drawing three and losing four. Their record against City is equally poor, with a lone 2-1 home victory in November 2024 representing their only win in 18 top-flight meetings. History also works against Rose, as the last four managers to debut in the division against City failed to win.
Team News And Injuries
A calf injury sidelines winger Jeremy Doku. He will miss two to three weeks, while Savinho and Omar Marmoush sit out amid discussions to join Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs agreed to a $110mn package for Savinho. Negotiations for Marmoush are also highly advanced.
Jack Grealish could make a surprise return. The winger has not started a match for the club in over 600 days. New recruit Elliot Anderson, who cost a club-record $150mn (£116 million), is poised for his Premier League debut in midfield, mancity.com reported.
Matheus Nunes is also available after overcoming a minor muscle injury. Erling Haaland will lead the attack. The Norwegian striker boasts an exceptional August record, scoring 22 goals in 14 appearances for the club. He also has seven goals from only four opening-weekend Premier League matches.
Bournemouth face severe selection issues. A foot injury sidelines striker Eli Junior Kroupi for the long term. Amine Adli, Veljko Milosavljevic, Julian Araujo, David Brooks and Julio Soler will also miss the clash, while midfielder Ryan Christie sits out to serve a ban from the previous campaign.
Rose said returning players Alvaro Rodriguez, Juanlu Sanchez and Tyler Adams "need a little bit more load in training to be an option".
New faces will anchor the visitors' defence. Arriving from Benfica, $33.3mn summer signing Antonio Silva will make his Premier League debut in a central defensive partnership with James Hill.
Man City Vs Bournemouth, Premier League 2026-27: Live Streaming Details
The Manchester City Vs AFC Bournemouth, English Premier League 2026-27 match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. It has a scheduled start time of 6:30 PM IST.
