Josko Gvardiol broke free in the Bournemouth box during injury time to seal a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory for Manchester City on the opening weekend of the Premier League season at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The win marked Enzo Maresca's first Premier League triumph as City manager, coming just a week after his side suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Bournemouth Take Early Lead Through Tavernier
Marcus Tavernier gave Bournemouth the lead before the half-hour mark, capitalising on space inside the area to fire home the visitors' first real opportunity of the match. Manchester City dominated large spells of the game but struggled to convert their chances, with Erling Haaland spurning several opportunities and Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic producing a string of saves, according to BBC Sport.
The hosts finally drew level in the 85th minute when Marc Guéhi atoned for an earlier miss, powering a header past Petrovic from a corner to make it 1-1. Five minutes into stoppage time, Gvardiol settled the contest, slipping the ball into the bottom corner after breaking free in the box. The goal was initially disallowed for offside before VAR cleared it to stand.
Gvardiol Reflects on Dramatic Winner
Speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, Gvardiol expressed pride in the result, saying: "Everyone is proud in the moment, it's the opening game of the season and we know how important it is, especially with all the changes we've had in the previous weeks. We need to enjoy this, we deserve it and I'm happy with the three points."
On the tension surrounding his goal, he added: "To be fair, I was quite sure I was onside, but it's difficult, in that moment you are just waiting to see the referee's reaction. I am glad in the end it's a goal." Gvardiol also looked ahead to City's next fixture, stating: "Every game is important, especially here in England. I would say the most important thing is that we won today. There is another game, Crystal Palace away, which is going to be difficult as well."
Maresca's First Win and Team Changes
The victory was Maresca's first as Manchester City manager in the Premier League. He made two changes to the starting XI from the Community Shield defeat, bringing in Rico Lewis and Guéhi for Jérémy Doku and Mateo Kovacic. Haaland's appearance marked his 200th for the club.
Jack Grealish was introduced late in the second half for his first Premier League appearance in a City shirt since May 2025, while Kovacic also returned from the bench after Elliot Anderson picked up an injury around the hour mark. For Bournemouth, it was Marco Rose's competitive debut in charge, with summer signing António Silva the only new arrival in the starting line-up.
Earlier, Arsenal had defeated Manchester City 3-0 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Sunday, August 16, to lift the Community Shield and claim their 18th title in the competition, a result that set the stage for City's determined response in the league opener.
