Overview
- Manchester City rallied to beat Bournemouth 2-1 on Sunday after Marc Guehi headed an 84th-minute equaliser and Josko Gvardiol scored a stoppage-time winner that was initially ruled offside but given after a VAR review.
- Substitute Rayan Cherki changed the game by providing the corner for Guehi’s equaliser and a through pass for Gvardiol’s finish, prompting Maresca to praise his impact.
- Enzo Maresca called the result “the perfect day” for his first Premier League match in charge even as he used unorthodox choices such as deploying Guehi in midfield and said the squad remains a work in progress.
- Other opening-weekend drama included Liverpool salvaging a 2-2 draw at Newcastle with Dominik Szoboszlai’s last-gasp penalty and Real Madrid winning 2-1 at Espanyol thanks to Carlo Espi’s 90th-minute strike.
- City face ongoing upheaval after the summer exits of players including Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones, and reports that they are close to signing Lille teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi keep the transfer window and tactical experiments central to how the season unfolds.