City make two changes for Sunday’s opening 2026/27 Premier League clash of the season at home to Bournemouth.
O’Reilly excited about the Maresca era at CityIn what marks the first league game of Enzo Maresca’s Etihad reign, Marc Guéhi and Rico Lewis both come into the starting eleven from the side that kicked off last weekend’s Community Shield clash against Arsenal.
Jérémy Doku misses out through injury while Mateo Kovačić reverts to the bench
A fit again Matheus Nunes is back in the matchday squad and is also named amongst the substitutes.
The game also marks the 200th City appearance for Erling Haaland who will spearhead the City attack.
TeamsCITY XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias (C), Guehi, Gvardiol, Lewis, Anderson, O’Reilly, Semenyo, Foden, Haaland.
Subs: Rulli, Marmoush, Kovačić, Cherki, Nico, Grealish, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Nunes
BOURNEMOUTH XI: To follow
Subs:
City v Bournemouth: Maresca focus and Gvardiol interview Formation and tacticsGianluigi Donnarumma will be the familiar figure in goal with the Italian ‘keeper shielded by a back four of Matheus Nunes, skipper Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi and Joško Gvardiol.
Elliot Anderson, Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly are set to be deployed in City’s triple engine room.
Meanwhile Haaland will spearhead City’s attack with Antoine Semenyo and Phil Foden also expected to provide support upfront.
However, as always, such is City’s tactical and positional fluidity those positions could well be subject to change!
Opening gambitIt’s a new season and the start of a new era at Manchester City.
Manager Enzo Maresca, who took up the reigns from Pep Guardiola earlier in the summer, takes the helm for his first Premier League assignment.
For the Italian its familiar territory given he undertook two previous spells at City – first as Elite Development Squad manager and then latterly as part of Guardiola’s backroom staff – to great acclaim.
Enzo also boasts hugely impressive managerial credentials from his time in charge at first Leicester City and then latterly Chelsea.
Aside from his arrival it has been a summer of evolution at the Club with a number of experienced players moving on to pastures new – the latest being Rodri - and fresh figures such as Elliot Anderson and Gerónimo Rulli arriving in their wake.
We will find the new Rodri - MarescaAnd with eight days to go before the end of the summer transfer window it seems likely there could yet be more movement amongst the squad.
It all adds to the feeling that a whole new chapter in the Club’s history is about to get underway.
200 upIn a career littered with notable landmark moments today marks another Blue-Ribbon occasion for Erling Haaland.
Fresh from an outstanding summer at the World Cup finals with Norway, the City striker today brings up his 200th appearance for the Club.
Traditionally Erling tends to make his mark on the opening day of the season – indeed August tends to bring the predatory best out of the big man.
Haaland has scored 22 goals in 14 Premier League appearances in the month of August.
Indeed, of all players to score 10+ goals in a particular month in the competition, Haaland’s average of 54 minutes-per-goal in August is the best.
What price Erling kicking off in goalscoring fashion again this afternoon?
Watch video for free with a Cityzens accountLoading your video Analysing Bournemouth ahead of this weekend’s Premier League opener Stats and factsCity have won all nine of our Premier League home games against Bournemouth by an aggregate score of 34-6. The Blues have netted 3.8 goals per game when hosting the Cherries in the competition; their highest average against any opponent on home soil.
Bournemouth boss Marco Rose will be just the fifth manager to see his first Premier League game come away to City at the Etihad, with none of the previous making a winning start (D1 L3). The most recent of those did avoid defeat, however, with Chelsea drawing 1-1 there in January under Calum McFarlane.
City have won our opening game in 14 of the last 15 Premier League seasons, the exception a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in 2021-22. It’s four more wins on MD1 than any other side has had since 2011-12 (Liverpool and Man Utd, 10).
Bournemouth have won their opening game in just two out of nine Premier League campaigns (D3 L4), beating Cardiff City in 2018-19 and Aston Villa in 2022-23.City’s only home Premier League defeats of 2025-26 came in our first (0-2 v Tottenham Hotspur) and last (1-2 v Aston Villa) games of the season at the Etihad. The Citizens haven’t lost back-to-back home league games since May 2021.
Bournemouth lost none of their final 18 Premier League games of 2025-26 under Andoni Iraola (W8 D10), the longest current unbeaten run in the division. It means that Marco Rose is only the second manager whose first Premier League game at a club comes with them on an ongoing 10+ match unbeaten run in the competition, after Felipe Scolari at Chelsea in 2008 (21 unbeaten beforehand).
Bournemouth topped last season’s Premier League for direct attacks (83), with no side scoring more direct attack goals than them (6). Meanwhile, during new manager Marco Rose’s time at his previous club RB Leipzig from September 2022 to March 2025, they ranked top of Germany’s Bundesliga for direct attacks (192) and joint-top for direct attack goals also (20).
This is Enzo Maresca’s first Premier League game in charge of Manchester City. Including caretakers, each of the Citizens’ last four managers has won their first league game, with Mark Hughes in August 2008 the last to lose (2-4 vs Aston Villa).
Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo scored for Bournemouth in their opening game in the last two Premier League seasons. Only seven players have scored on MD1 both for and against the same side in the competition, with just one of those doing so in successive seasons – John Hartson against West Ham in 1996-97 and for them in 1997-98.
Premier League 2026/27 home tickets now on saleGeneral admission tickets for Manchester City’s home 2026/27 Premier League fixtures are now on sale to Premium, Matchday and Junior Members.
Season Ticket Members, meanwhile, are now also able to purchase additional tickets for selected games.
Premier League match-by-match ticket prices for junior and adult Matchday Members have been retained at the same rate for a third consecutive season.
It promises to be another thrilling campaign for the Blues as we enter a new era under the guidance of Enzo Maresca, who takes over from Pep Guardiola in the hotseat.
Make sure you secure your spot at the Etihad Stadium for our Premier League fixtures now!
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