Manchester City vs Bournemouth - prediction, team news, lineups

The post-Pep Guardiola epoch successful the Premier League begins for Manchester City connected Sunday day arsenic Enzo Maresca’s broadside invited Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium for their opening fixture of the 2026-27 season.

The Citizens played retired a 1-1 gully with the Cherries successful their astir caller gathering astatine the Vitality Stadium successful May, a effect which confirmed Arsenal arsenic top-flight champions.

Match preview

After 10 glorious, trophy-laden years nether Guardiola, Enzo Maresca is the antheral facing the monumental task of sustaining a relentless winning civilization astatine Man City and steering the nine connected a high-stakes ngo to extremity their two-season Premier League rubric drought.

The 46-year-old erstwhile Chelsea brag is embracing the situation astatine specified a “huge organisation” and is “convinced” that his squad tin “achieve thing important” this term, adjacent though a plethora of players including Bernardo Silva, Rodri and John Stones person each departed this summer.

Man City enjoyed FA Cup and EFL Cup occurrence past season, but they person slipped down newly-formed rivals Arsenal successful the apical formation and were deservedly beaten 3-0 by the Gunners successful past weekend’s Community Shield, with Maresca mounting an unwanted record connected his managerial debut.

On a affirmative note, each of Man City’s past 4 managers has won their archetypal Premier League crippled successful charge, with Mark Hughes backmost successful August 2008 the past to sensation decision (4-2 against Aston Villa).

The eight-time Premier League champions caput into Sunday’s contention having won their opening lucifer successful 14 of the past 15 top-flight seasons, the objection being a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Tottenham successful 2021-22. Coincidently, Spurs were the lone squad to bushed Man City astatine location successful the PL past play earlier Aston Villa claimed a 2-1 triumph successful Guardiola’s farewell lucifer astatine the extremity of the campaign.

Not since May 2021 person Man City suffered back-to-back location league defeats, but they should beryllium assured of occurrence this play arsenic they person prevailed successful each 9 of their PL location meetings against Bournemouth by an aggregate people of 34-6, netting 3.8 goals per game.

Like Man City, Bournemouth person embarked connected a caller epoch nether a caller manager successful the signifier of Marco Rose, with the erstwhile RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund brag succeeding Andoni Iraola astatine the Vitality Stadium.

The 49-year-old German has inherited a buoyant and resilient Cherries broadside caller disconnected a historical sixth-placed decorativeness successful the Premier League successful which they suffered lone 7 defeats successful 38 games, an awesome feat lone bettered by champions Arsenal (five) and Man City (six).

Rose besides enters his archetypal play successful England backed by the club’s bonzer 18-match unbeaten league tally carried implicit from the extremity of past word (W8 D10). However, nary of the erstwhile 4 managers to marque their PL debut against Man City made a winning commencement (D1 L3). The astir caller of those did debar defeat, though, arsenic Calum McFarlane’s Chelsea drew 1-1 astatine the Etihad successful January.

Bournemouth, who person signed 3 caller players truthful acold this summer, enjoyed a mostly affirmative pre-season, winning 3 of their 5 friendlies (D1 L1) and scoring a whopping 22 goals successful the process, including an eye-catching 10-1 triumph implicit Genoa.

However, the Cherries person won their opening crippled of a caller Premier League play conscionable doubly successful 9 attempts (D3 L4), beating Cardiff City successful 2018-19 and Aston Villa successful 2022-23, portion they person lone ever beaten Man City erstwhile successful 18 top-flight games (D1 L16), winning 2-1 astatine location successful November 2024.

Manchester City pre-season form:

Manchester City signifier (all competitions):

Bournemouth pre-season form:

Team News

Man City winger Jeremy Doku has been ruled retired for 2 to 3 weeks with a calf injury, portion Savinho and - astir apt - Omar Marmoush volition not beryllium progressive arsenic they stay successful talks to articulation Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Matheus Nunes is disposable for enactment aft missing the Community Shield decision with a insignificant musculus occupation and could regenerate Abdukodir Khusanov astatine right-back, perchance joining Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly successful a four-man defence.

In the lack of first-choice left-flanker Doku and with City abbreviated of options retired wide, Maresca whitethorn see handing a astonishment commencement to Jack Grealish, implicit 600 days aft helium past started for the club, portion ex-Bournemouth prima Antoine Semenyo is expected to statesman connected the close broadside of attack.

Club-record signing Elliot Anderson is acceptable to marque his PL debut for City successful centre-midfield, portion talismanic striker Erling Haaland volition pb the line; the Norwegian has scored 7 goals successful conscionable 4 opening-weekend PL matches and has recovered the nett 22 times successful conscionable 14 games for the Citizens successful August.

As for Bournemouth, past season’s apical scorer Eli Junior Kroupi (foot) is ruled retired agelong term, while Amine Adli (calf), Veljko Milosavljevic (knee), Julian Araujo (thigh), David Brooks and Julio Soler (both unspecified) are besides sidelined.

Ryan Christie is serving a suspension carried implicit from past season, truthful Alex Scott and Lewis Cook are some expected to nexus arms successful centre-midfield, portion Rayan, Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier each run successful the last third.

New signings Alvaro Rodriguez and Juanlu Sanchez, arsenic good arsenic Tyler Adams, person each returned to squad training, but Rose has revealed immoderate of them “need a small spot much load successful grooming to beryllium an option” for the travel to the Etihad.

However, centre-back Antonio Silva - a £25.7m summertime accomplishment from Benfica - is acceptable to marque his PL debut, partnering James Hill successful the bosom of the defence.

Manchester City imaginable starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Anderson, Kovacic; Semenyo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland

Bournemouth imaginable starting lineup:

Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evalinson

We say: Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth

Having seen a fig of high-profile players permission successful caller weeks, Man City's squad looks amazingly airy heading into their play opener and this fixture against Rose's high-energy Bournemouth broadside is by nary means an casual duty for the Citizens.

However, if extremity instrumentality Haaland tin deed the crushed moving erstwhile again successful attack, the hosts should person the objective borderline to unafraid each 3 points and supply Maresca with a winning start.

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