Manchester City will begin a new chapter on Sunday afternoon when Enzo Maresca takes charge of his first Premier League match as the Citizens welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium.
After a decade of dominance under Pep Guardiola, Maresca faces the huge challenge of restoring City to the Premier League summit after they finished behind champions Arsenal last season.
City suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in last weekend’s Community Shield, but they have an impressive record in Premier League openers, winning 14 of their last 15. They have also won all nine of their home league meetings with Bournemouth, scoring 34 goals and conceding just six.
Bournemouth arrive under new manager Marco Rose following Andoni Iraola’s departure. The Cherries enjoyed a historic sixth-place finish last season and enter this campaign on an 18-match unbeaten league run.
Team News
City will be without Jeremy Doku for two to three weeks due to a calf injury, while Savinho and Omar Marmoush are unlikely to feature amid transfer discussions. Matheus Nunes is available, while Elliot Anderson is expected to make his Premier League debut. Erling Haaland will lead the attack, with Jack Grealish potentially handed a surprise start.
Bournemouth are without Eli Junior Kroupi, Amine Adli, Veljko Milosavljevic, Julian Araujo, David Brooks and Julio Soler. Ryan Christie is suspended, while Antonio Silva is expected to make his Premier League debut.
Possible Lineups
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Anderson, Kovacic; Semenyo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evalinson
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport Premier League |
| Live Stream | dstv stream |
| Kick-off Time | 14:00pm (WAT) |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth.
