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Manchester City produced a dramatic late comeback to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
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Bournemouth looked on course for a major upset after controlling the game for long periods.
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Marc Guéhi and Josko Gvardiol turned the match around with two late goals.
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Bournemouth’s defeat brought their impressive 18-match unbeaten run to an end.
August 23, (THEWILL) —Manchester City came from behind to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, giving Enzo Maresca a winning start to his first Premier League campaign in charge.
Bournemouth stunned the home supporters in the 26th minute when Marcus Tavernier opened the scoring. Evanilson created the opportunity with a dangerous low delivery across the area, allowing Tavernier to finish and put the visitors ahead.
City dominated possession but struggled to create clear opportunities. Erling Haaland was presented with several chances but could not find the breakthrough as Bournemouth defended their advantage.
The visitors carried their 1-0 lead deep into the second half and appeared capable of leaving Manchester with all three points.
However, City’s persistence finally paid off in the 84th minute.
Guéhi, deployed in midfield, rose highest from a Rayan Cherki corner and headed the ball into the net to bring City level.
The equaliser changed the momentum of the match, with City pushing forward in search of a winner.
Their pressure eventually produced a second goal in stoppage time.
Gvardiol guided a shot into the bottom corner to put City ahead for the first time. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR intervened, and the decision was overturned.
The comeback completed a remarkable turnaround for Maresca’s side and condemned Bournemouth to their first defeat in 18 matches across all competitions.
Maresca gets winning Premier League start
The victory represents an important result for Maresca as he begins life at Manchester City following Guardiola’s departure.
City had suffered a 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the Community Shield the previous weekend, increasing the pressure on the new manager ahead of his first league game.
Although Bournemouth exposed weaknesses in City’s performance, the late comeback demonstrated the team’s ability to respond under pressure.
Maresca will still have plenty to address, particularly City’s finishing after Haaland failed to take advantage of several opportunities.
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Bournemouth’s unbeaten run ends
Bournemouth will be disappointed to leave Manchester empty-handed after producing an impressive performance for much of the match.
Rose’s side were dangerous on the counter-attack and made good use of the pace and movement of Tavernier and Evanilson.
Their defeat ended an 18-game unbeaten sequence dating back to January.
Despite the result, Bournemouth can take encouragement from the performance as they begin a new era under Rose.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
