Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League 2026/27
Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League 2026/27
Man City were forced to mount a late rescue mission after falling behind to an early Marcus Tavernier strike. Substitute Rayan Cherki turned the game around, setting up Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol to seal a 2-1 win on Sunday.
Despite the scare, Maresca was delighted with his first victory since replacing Pep Guardiola. "It is the perfect day. I was very pleased when the game started to see the banner and we gave the fans the joy of the three points at the end. It was quite emotional," Maresca said. He added: "The spirit was fantastic. It's a game we deserved to win early with the amount of chances we had."
Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League 2026/27
Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League 2026/27
Justifying the Cherki decision
Maresca also addressed his decision to leave Cherki on the bench, revealing that the player was frustrated but ultimately proved his worth. "The impact was unbelievable, he is that kind of player," the Italian explained. "I like Rayan, I told him also after the game, but sometimes when you plan a game and you already have (picked) four out of 11 players who arrived late (from holidays), if you go with one more maybe the difference is too big. Rayan is quite a nice and clear boy. If he is not happy he wants to show it and I know that he was not happy today, but at the end I had to take a decision."
Managing fitness expectations
Maresca tempered expectations, stressing that the squad are still building fitness. "To be honest, I feel in the same position we were after Arsenal (in the Community Shield)," he stated. "It’s normal that you judge because of results but I don’t see a big difference from one week ago to today. This is a work in progress, that’s why I am looking for new solutions like Marc Guehi as a midfielder, different things. Now we need solutions, we need to prepare the team."
HE noted the fitness gap, adding: "Unfortunately we still have four or five players (in the starting 11) that are in pre-season - Haaland, Guehi, Anderson, O’Reilly. They arrived ten days ago. I think all of Bournemouth’s players started at the beginning of pre-season, so it’s a huge difference in terms of physicality but we are going to be better and better."
FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-BOURNEMOUTH
FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-BOURNEMOUTH
Moving forward, Maresca must integrate his late arrivals and evaluate temporary tactical fixes, such as Guehi in midfield. "I know Marc from (Crystal) Palace and always thought he could be a good midfielder. It was a good performance from him," Maresca noted. "The good thing is he now gives us a solution for the future." With City closing in on an £85 million deal for Lille star Ayyoub Bouaddi, the manager will hope reinforcements arrive quickly to support their demanding campaign.