Maresca Era Begins: Manchester City vs Bournemouth Preview
The banners for Pep Guardiola have barely been folded away, yet Manchester City start again on Sunday. New manager Enzo Maresca walks into the Etihad Stadium for his first Premier League game in charge, with Bournemouth the visitors and expectation already sky-high.
Guardiola’s decade brought six league titles and a Champions League. Maresca’s first taste of competitive action, a Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, was a jolt. This, though, is where the real judgement starts.
Team News: Doku Out, Nunes Back, Attacking Shuffle
Maresca must kick off his reign without Jeremy Doku. The Belgian winger aggravated a calf problem during that Community Shield loss and has been ruled out for two to three weeks, stripping City of one of their most direct outlets on the left.
Savinho will not be involved either, with a move to Tottenham Hotspur progressing, and Omar Marmoush is expected to follow the same path if his own switch to north London is completed in time. Both situations leave City a little lighter in wide areas than Maresca might have liked for opening day.
There is better news at the back. Matheus Nunes returns to contention after missing the Arsenal game with a minor muscle issue. The Portuguese international is in line to come straight into the side, potentially at right-back in place of Abdukodir Khusanov, giving Maresca a technically slick option in the back four.
With Doku sidelined, Jack Grealish is set to reclaim the left flank. He finished the Community Shield there and now shoulders the responsibility from the start, charged with giving City control and guile in wide areas. On the opposite side, Antoine Semenyo, signed from Bournemouth in January, is expected to start against his former club, adding power and direct running on the right.
Phil Foden keeps the central creative role behind Erling Haaland, the position many around the club have long believed will define his peak years. Just behind them, Elliot Anderson, a major summer investment, continues his bedding-in process alongside Mateo Kovačić in central midfield. Anderson’s integration is one of the key early projects of the Maresca era.
At the back, Gianluigi Donnarumma retains his place in goal, protected by a back four of Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and Nico O'Reilly. It is a blend of established authority and emerging talent, and it will be tested quickly if Bournemouth decide to be bold.
Haaland’s August Habit
Whatever the tactical tweaks, City’s attack still revolves around the same ruthless centre-forward. Haaland arrives at opening weekend with numbers that border on absurd: seven goals in his last four Premier League opening-day fixtures, and 22 in 14 career appearances in the month of August.
Form like that gives Maresca a safety net. Systems can evolve, partnerships can grow, but with Haaland as the focal point, City carry a permanent threat. For a new manager stepping into the most scrutinised job in English football, that is no small comfort.
Predicted Manchester City XI
Maresca is expected to set City up in a 4-2-3-1:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Anderson, Kovačić; Semenyo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland.
Kick-off and TV Details
Manchester City vs Bournemouth kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, 23 August 2026 at the Etihad Stadium.
In the UK, the game will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
A decade of Guardiola has reset the bar. On Sunday afternoon, we find out how Maresca plans to clear it.
