Manchester City began life after Pep Guardiola with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium, as new head coach Enzo Maresca‘s unconventional selection of Marc Guéhi in midfield proved a masterstroke.
Maresca fielded six players who could be classed as defenders, with the England centre-back deployed in midfield rather than his usual role.
The decision came after City lost Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders over the summer, with only Elliot Anderson brought in as a replacement.
It was a selection that could easily have backfired. Bournemouth punished City with an incisive counter-attack in the 26th minute, as Marcus Tavernier struck a composed finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma after City’s defenders were caught flat-footed.
Bournemouth held that lead for long spells as City missed a host of chances, including a glaring miss from Guéhi himself, who somehow headed wide from close range with the goal at his mercy.
A dramatic late turnaround secure Maresca first league win
City’s patience was eventually rewarded. Guéhi headed home from a corner in the 84th minute to spark the turnaround, before Rayan Cherki threaded a pass into the box for Josko Gvardiol to bundle home the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.
The goal, created by substitute Cherki, sent Maresca and the Etihad Stadium wild.
Speaking after the match, Maresca explained the thinking behind handing Guéhi a midfield role — a decision rooted in his history at Crystal Palace:
“Sometimes you visualise things; I know Marc from [Crystal] Palace and always thought he could play midfielder because he’s very good,” he said per City Xtra
“So we tried in the first two days as a central defender stepping [up], and then tried in the last two days simply as a midfielder. And I think it was quite good.
“The good thing is now he gives us solutions for the future.”
It is a notable twist given Guéhi built his reputation as a centre-back during four and a half seasons at Selhurst Park, culminating in the captaincy and a run to the Euro 2024 final with England, before his £20m move to the Etihad in January.
Maresca reflects on winning start
The result eased the pressure on Maresca following a difficult start to his tenure. His first game in charge had ended in a 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, but Sunday’s win meant he avoided consecutive losses at the start of his reign as Guardiola’s successor.
Reflecting on the overall performance, Maresca was pleased with his side’s control of the game despite the scare:
“Happy because we won. I think it’s a game we probably deserved to win earlier because we controlled the game, created chances.
“Before the goal we conceded, we had three or four clear chances and missed. Then we conceded and it all became more complicated. But overall, I think it’s a game we completely deserved to win.”
Bournemouth’s new manager Marco Rose had been just five minutes away from becoming the first Bournemouth boss to win first game at Manchester City, making the late collapse all the more painful for the visitors.
Elsewhere in Maresca’s reshaped side, Nico O’Reilly was moved from his usual left-sided role into a more advanced position close to Erling Haaland, underlining the scale of tactical experimentation already under way at the Etihad as the post-Guardiola rebuild takes shape.
