Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has opened up on his decision to leave Rayan Cherki out of his starting line-up for the club’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth, after the France international came off the bench to inspire a stunning late comeback.
Cherki was introduced in the 63rd minute in an attempt to inject more creativity into City’s attack, with the hosts trailing to Marcus Tavernier’s 26th-minute strike after Bournemouth had frustrated their hosts for long spells at the Etihad Stadium.
The introduction proved inspired. Cherki’s pinpoint corner in the 84th minute allowed Marc Guéhi to head City level. The France international turned provider again in stoppage time to tee up Josko Gvardiol for a dramatic winner, sealing a 2-1 comeback victory in what was Maresca’s first Premier League match in charge of the club.
Maresca explains the bench decision
Speaking after the match, Maresca gave a candid explanation for why he had opted to keep Cherki among the substitutes rather than hand him a starting berth.
“The impact was unbelievable, but he’s that kind of player! I like Rayan, I told him also after the game,” Maresca said per City Xtra
“Sometimes when you plan a game, and you have already on the pitch four of the 11 that arrived late [from summer], sometimes you think, ‘If we go one more, five [it’s too much]’. And sometimes also you plan for the last 30 minutes of the second-half.
“So I think what they have to do when they don’t play from the start is what Rayan has done today: Just be ready, go on, and try to do your best.”
The Italian, who took charge of City this summer after Manchester City confirmed his appointment as manager on 29 June, with the Italian signing a three-year contract to succeed Pep Guardiola, also touched on Cherki’s mood before he was called into action.
He added that Cherki is “quite nice and a clear boy” who, if unhappy, “wants to show” it — a trait Maresca said was on display before kick-off.
“So I know he was not happy today [at not starting vs Bournemouth], but at the end, I’m here also to take decisions.”
A makeshift midfield pays off
Maresca’s team selection had already raised eyebrows before Cherki’s introduction, with Guéhi deployed in an unfamiliar midfield role alongside new signing Elliot Anderson.
It was a gamble that paid dividends at both ends of the pitch, with the England defender not only scoring the equaliser but impressing enough in his new role to catch his manager’s eye.
“I know Marc from (Crystal) Palace and always thought he could be a good midfielder,” Maresca said of Guéhi’s showing. “It was a good performance from him. The good thing is he now gives us a solution for the future.”
The result offered timely reassurance for Maresca after a difficult curtain-raiser to the season, with City having been beaten 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield just a week earlier.
Sunday’s fightback suggested the new manager already has the resolve of his squad, even amid a summer of significant turnover that has seen several long-serving figures depart the Etihad.
For Cherki, meanwhile, the afternoon was a timely reminder of his value to a City side reshaping itself for the post-Guardiola era.
Having arrived at the club with a reputation for flair and unpredictability, the 22-year-old now finds himself with a strong case to force his way into Mareca’s starting eleven plan.
