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Manchester City FC
Manchester City play host to AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon for Enzo Maresca’s opening Premier League fixture as manager
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca starts his fresh Etihad Stadium tenure this afternoon against AFC Bournemouth.
The past seven days have been turbulent for City with Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders departing the club. Naturally, Rodri’s departure will affect Blues supporters deeply and efforts to recruit his successor have continued this week.
For now, Elliot Anderson is positioned to assume the defensive midfield responsibilities. Mateo Kovacic filled the defensive midfield position against Arsenal last weekend but the £116m summer acquisition could be deployed in that role today. Matheus Nunes has returned from the injury problem that forced his withdrawal from the bench last weekend but Jeremy Doku will be unavailable for two to three weeks.
Maresca may hand Jack Grealish a starting berth given Doku’s injury. The winger came on at half-time in Cardiff and has been given the chance by City’s manager to reclaim his place.
Key Events
Maresca chose to field four players in the Community Shield after less than a week of pre-season training because he was readying them for their expected roles.
With an additional week of preparation, it is reasonable to assume Haaland, Anderson and O’Reilly will be seeking places in the starting lineup again and Maresca can further justify his decision to select them in Cardiff when he knew it would weaken their chances against Arsenal.
The weather is bright and Manchester City have the chance today to momentarily distract their supporters from their transfer market difficulties by securing a positive opening to their Premier League campaign. Enzo Maresca was correct this week when he stated that victories can dramatically alter atmosphere, in contrast to the defeat they suffered against Arsenal last week with their midfield and defence completely exposed which raised concerns. Bournemouth prevented City from clinching the title in May and will present a difficult challenge today at the Etihad.
City observed Arsenal begin their season with a straightforward victory over Coventry City on Friday evening and will aim to match the Gunners’ three-point haul this afternoon.
Manchester United and Tottenham experienced humbling defeats on the first day of the season and Enzo Maresca will want a winning beginning to prevent external criticism from increasing following the poor performance in the Community Shield.
It has been an hectic summer of player arrivals and departures at City, with senior players seemingly leaving every week and although the Blues shattered their transfer record to secure Elliot Anderson for £116m, considerable work remains in the transfer window to replace those who have departed.
Doku will be absent for the early part of the season after sustaining a calf injury during the Community Shield.
The Belgian wide player was among City’s most effective performers last term but will miss the opening stages of this campaign in another setback for the Blues. Doku only rejoined the squad last week after being granted additional rest following his involvement with Belgium reaching the World Cup quarter-finals. He was immediately thrust into the starting eleven against Arsenal in Cardiff but was always scheduled to play only 45 minutes before being substituted.
However, the 24-year-old experienced discomfort in his calf that subsequent medical examinations revealed was not serious. He will definitely sit out the Bournemouth match and might also miss games against Crystal Palace and Coventry.
Here are the latest betting odds:
Man City 12/25
Draw 7/2
Bournemouth 11/2
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To watch today’s match you can tune in to Sky Sports Main Event and UHD. The game is also available to stream via the Sky Go app.
Alternatively, you can follow all the build-up, action and post-match analysis from the Etihad Stadium right here.
Hello and welcome to a fresh chapter for City!
Last weekend was merely a dress rehearsal for the Blues and Maresca. Most, if not all, City supporters would trade the Community Shield for a victory today and that is the objective this afternoon. Rodri’s move to Barcelona would have hurt, regardless of how anticipated it was, but the Blues must look forward. Anderson carries significant expectations today and will be hoping to build on his performance last weekend.
As always, Haaland will be City’s primary goalscoring threat and will start up front. During the Guardiola era, City transformed the Etihad Stadium into an impenetrable venue, losing only two of their 19 Premier League home fixtures last season. Maresca will be targeting comparable home dominance this campaign.
Stay tuned for further updates…