Manchester City begin life after Pep Guardiola on Sunday as Enzo Maresca takes charge of his first Premier League match against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.

City enter the new campaign looking to regain a title they have now gone two seasons without winning, while Bournemouth arrive under new manager Marco Rose after a remarkable sixth-placed finish last term.

Manchester City

Guardiola’s departure after 10 trophy-laden years marks an enormous change at Manchester City, and Maresca has inherited the difficult task of maintaining the standards established during one of English football’s most successful eras.

The transition has also extended to the playing squad. Bernardo Silva, Rodri and John Stones are among several major departures, leaving City with a noticeably different group heading into the new season.

Maresca’s competitive debut provided an early reminder of the challenge ahead, as City were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield. That followed a 2025-26 campaign in which City won both domestic cups but again fell short in the Premier League.

Their opening-day record nevertheless offers plenty of encouragement. City have won their first league fixture in 14 of the last 15 seasons, while each of their previous four managers has also started his Premier League tenure with a victory.

Bournemouth have traditionally found the Etihad particularly unforgiving. City have won all nine Premier League home meetings between the clubs, scoring 34 goals and conceding only six.

Maresca does, however, have some selection problems. Jeremy Doku has been ruled out with a calf injury, while Savinho and Omar Marmoush are unlikely to feature amid uncertainty over their futures.

That could create an unexpected opportunity for Jack Grealish, while former Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo is expected to start on the opposite flank.

Club-record signing Elliot Anderson should make his league debut in midfield, and Erling Haaland will lead the attack. The Norwegian has an outstanding record at the beginning of Premier League seasons, scoring seven times across four opening-weekend appearances.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth begin their own new chapter following Iraola’s departure, with former Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig coach Rose taking charge.

He inherits a side coming off the best Premier League season in the club’s history. The Cherries finished sixth after losing only seven of their 38 matches and carry an extraordinary 18-game unbeaten league sequence into the new campaign.

Their summer performances suggest Rose has little intention of abandoning Bournemouth’s aggressive approach. They won three of five pre-season fixtures and scored 22 goals, including a remarkable 10-1 victory against Genoa.

History at the Etihad is considerably less encouraging. Bournemouth have never collected a Premier League point away to City, while their solitary top-flight victory over Sunday’s opponents came at the Vitality Stadium in November 2024.

Rose also has significant availability problems for his first competitive game. Last season’s leading scorer Eli Junior Kroupi is a long-term absentee, while Amine Adli, Veljko Milosavljevic, Julian Araujo, David Brooks and Julio Soler are also sidelined.

Ryan Christie is suspended, leaving Alex Scott and Lewis Cook as the likely midfield pairing.

Summer arrivals Alvaro Rodriguez and Juanlu Sanchez have returned to training but may not yet be ready to start. Antonio Silva is in a stronger position to make his competitive debut and should partner James Hill in central defence.

Verdict

This is a considerably more demanding opening fixture for City than their dominant historical record against Bournemouth might suggest.

Maresca is overseeing substantial change, several established players have departed and his attacking options are already depleted. Bournemouth, meanwhile, arrive with an 18-match unbeaten Premier League run behind them and should be capable of testing a City side still adapting to a new manager.

The difference may ultimately be Haaland. City’s striker has repeatedly started seasons quickly, and Bournemouth’s own absentees could make containing him particularly difficult.

Expect the visitors to cause problems, but City should have enough attacking quality to give Maresca his first Premier League victory.

Tip

Manchester City to win and both teams to score.