Guéhi header and Gvardiol stoppage-time strike earn Manchester City a 2-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth
Manchester City came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2-1 in the Premier League on 23 August 2026, with Marc Guéhi’s 84th-minute header and Josko Gvardiol’s added-time finish turning a likely defeat into a dramatic victory for new manager Enzo Maresca. A tifo reading "WELCOME BACK ENZO" greeted Maresca before the match.
Maresca, who previously served as an assistant to Pep Guardiola, saw a mixed first Premier League outing from his side as Bournemouth, managed by Marco Rose, threatened to secure a rare success at City. Rose’s team had arrived unbeaten in 18 league games, a run established under predecessor Andoni Iraola, and looked on course to take the lead before late City interventions.
The equaliser arrived when second-half substitute Rayan Cherki floated a corner from the right and Marc Guéhi rose to head past Djordje Petrovic, the Cherries No 1, after the ball deflected off Adrien Truffert, bringing City level in the 84th minute. Cherki had been introduced from the bench and later provided the final touch for the winner.
City’s winner arrived in stoppage time when Cherki tapped the ball to Josko Gvardiol and he finished; the video assistant referee ruled the goal legal after an initial offside flag. Maresca reacted visibly, sighing heavily on the touchline before celebrating when the winning strike stood.
Bournemouth had taken the lead through Marcus Tavernier after a build-up that began down their right. A mix-up between Rúben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov allowed Rayan to turn the ball to Evanilison, whose cross found Tavernier to poke home, a sequence Maresca reviewed on his monitor and described as naivety given previous recent defeats.
Maresca made several tactical choices and changes: he used Guéhi as a holding midfielder alongside Elliot Anderson on the £116m signing’s debut, selected Nico O’Reilly—City’s player of the year at left-back—at No 10 ahead of Phil Foden, and later brought Matheus Nunes on for Rico Lewis on 55 minutes. Anderson was withdrawn with a knee problem on 61 minutes and replaced by Mateo Kovacic, while Cherki came on for O’Reilly and Jack Grealish replaced Foden on 82 minutes.
The match featured further notable incidents: Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a Rayan shot earlier, Antoine Semenyo claimed a penalty when Adam Smith grappled him but referee Jarred Gillett did not award it, Anderson was penalised for two fouls including one on Adam Scott, Tavernier missed two chances to extend Bournemouth’s lead, and Evanilison was booked late in the first half for rough play.
Bournemouth have now lost 13 of their past 14 visits to City, the only non-defeat being a draw in 1989, and the result leaves Maresca’s side with a disjointed opening to their Premier League campaign.