Maresca Era Begins: Manchester City vs Bournemouth Preview

The Etihad Stadium steps into a new chapter on Sunday. Enzo Maresca takes charge of his first Premier League game as Manchester City manager, with Bournemouth the visitors and the shadow of Pep Guardiola’s decade of dominance hanging over every decision.

Six league titles and a Champions League sit in the recent past. The Community Shield defeat to Arsenal sits uncomfortably in the present. Maresca now gets his first real chance to move the conversation on.

Early Selection Headaches

The new manager’s first league lineup comes with complications.

Jeremy Doku is out. The Belgian winger aggravated a calf problem during that Community Shield loss and has been ruled out for two to three weeks. Savinho will also be missing as his move to Tottenham Hotspur edges towards completion, while Omar Marmoush is expected to be in a similar situation if his own transfer to north London is finalised in time.

There is better news at the back. Matheus Nunes is available again after a minor muscle issue kept him out at Wembley. Maresca is likely to use him at right-back, where he could come in for Abdukodir Khusanov.

On the opposite flank, the Doku injury clears the path for Jack Grealish. The England international finished the Community Shield on the left and is set to start there, tasked with giving City control and incision in wide areas.

Antoine Semenyo, signed from Bournemouth in January, is poised to line up on the right. His direct running offers a different threat, particularly against his former club.

Foden, Haaland and a New-Look Core

Through the middle, Maresca leans on familiarity and one major new investment.

Phil Foden keeps his central role behind Erling Haaland, the position that increasingly feels like the heartbeat of this City side. Haaland’s numbers in August are absurd: 22 goals in 14 career appearances during the month, including seven in his last four Premier League opening weekends. Whatever else changes, City’s attack still orbits around him.

Behind them, Elliot Anderson continues as one of the key stories of City’s summer. The big-money signing is set to partner Mateo Kovačić in central midfield, a pairing Maresca wants to bed in quickly. Anderson’s ability to knit play and break lines will be under the microscope from the first whistle.

At the back, Gianluigi Donnarumma remains 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, a snapshot of a squad being reshaped while still expected to win immediately.

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.

The shape is familiar. The faces around its edges are not. That is Maresca’s challenge.

Kick-off and TV Details

Manchester City vs Bournemouth kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, 23 August 2026 at the Etihad Stadium.

The game will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

Guardiola’s era is over. The trophies remain, the expectations certainly do. Now we find out how quickly Maresca can make this team feel like his.