Enzo Maresca began his Premier League reign at Manchester City with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bournemouth after two late goals completed a comeback.
City looked set for a disappointing start to life after Pep Guardiola when Tavernier put Bournemouth ahead in the 26th minute. Evanilson’s low delivery exposed City’s defence and Tavernier was left with a simple finish from close range.
Maresca’s side had opportunities to respond, but Erling Haaland endured a frustrating afternoon in front of goal. The Norway striker missed a clear chance from Nico O’Reilly’s cross before Djordje Petrovic denied him with a header.
City’s unusual line-up also raised eyebrows, with Marc Guehi operating in midfield alongside new signing Elliot Anderson. Guehi missed a superb chance to equalise shortly after half-time when he headed a corner wide.
The hosts continued to press, but Bournemouth remained dangerous and threatened to extend their lead. City eventually found a breakthrough in the 84th minute when Guehi redeemed his earlier miss by heading Rayan Cherki’s corner beyond Petrovic.
Cherki then played a decisive role again in stoppage time, slipping a pass into the Bournemouth area for Josko Gvardiol to finish into the bottom corner.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR overturned the decision, sparking celebrations from Maresca and his players.
The result ended Bournemouth’s club-record 18-match unbeaten run and denied Marco Rose a winning start to his tenure.
For City, the comeback provided much-needed relief after their 3-0 Community Shield defeat by Arsenal and a difficult period of transition. Several established players have departed, while Maresca is expected to strengthen his squad further before the transfer window closes.
Despite a performance that lacked fluency for long periods, City showed enough resilience to secure three points and give Maresca a winning beginning to his first Premier League campaign as Guardiola’s successor.
