Maresca’s New Era at Manchester City Begins Against Bournemouth
A decade of Pep Guardiola. Six Premier League titles. A Champions League crown. Now the Etihad turns the page.
On Sunday afternoon, Manchester City start life under Enzo Maresca, with Bournemouth the first visitors of this new Premier League chapter. The Community Shield defeat to Arsenal stung, not so much for the result as for the reminder that transition rarely runs smooth. This, though, is the first game that counts.
Early Problems on the Flanks
Maresca’s plans have already taken a hit. Jeremy Doku, the explosive Belgian winger who should be a natural weapon in this system, will not feature. He aggravated a calf issue during that Community Shield loss and has been ruled out for two to three weeks.
Savinho is also unavailable, his move to Tottenham Hotspur edging towards completion. Omar Marmoush is expected to follow a similar path to north London if his own deal is finalised in time, leaving City short of wide options just as the season kicks off.
The pressure on the remaining attackers rises quickly in August.
Grealish Steps In, Semenyo Faces Former Club
With Doku sidelined, Jack Grealish is set to reclaim the left flank. He filled that role after coming off the bench at Wembley and now looks the obvious choice to start, tasked with giving City control and incision from the wing.
On the opposite side, Antoine Semenyo is in line to face the club he left in January. The winger, signed from Bournemouth, offers direct running and a more vertical threat, a useful counterpoint to Grealish’s more considered style.
Phil Foden should operate centrally, just behind Erling Haaland, the position where many believe he can truly dominate games. Elliot Anderson, a big-money summer arrival, continues to partner Mateo Kovačić in the middle as City look to bed in one of their most significant additions of the window. That pairing will be central to how quickly Maresca’s ideas take root.
Haaland’s August Habit
Whatever the tactical tweaks, one constant remains: Haaland. The numbers are brutal.
Seven goals in his last four Premier League opening weekends. Twenty-two in just 14 career appearances in August. He starts seasons fast, he lives in the penalty area, and he gives Maresca a reliable focal point while everything else around him shifts.
Bournemouth know exactly what’s coming. Stopping it is another matter.
Defensive Shape and Possible XI
At the back, Gianluigi Donnarumma continues in goal, the high-profile presence behind a reshaped defence. Matheus Nunes is back in contention after missing the Community Shield with a minor muscle problem and could come straight in at right-back, potentially replacing Abdukodir Khusanov.
Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol form the core of the back line, with Nico O’Reilly expected to start at left-back, giving City a blend of experience, aggression and youthful energy.
Maresca is likely to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Anderson, Kovačić; Semenyo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland.
Plenty of familiar faces. A very different voice on the touchline.
Kick-off and TV Details
The match kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, 23 August 2026 at the Etihad Stadium.
In the UK, it will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
A new manager. A reshaped squad. The champions’ shirt on his back. Maresca’s first real judgment day comes early.
