Maresca’s New Era Begins Against Bournemouth

The banners for Pep Guardiola are barely down, the Etihad still carrying the echo of a decade of dominance, and already Manchester City are turning the page. On Sunday afternoon, Enzo Maresca walks out for his first Premier League game in charge, with Bournemouth the visitors and expectation heavy in the air.

The Italian steps into a job shaped by six league titles and a Champions League under Guardiola. His first taste of life in the hot seat – a Community Shield defeat to Arsenal – was a reminder that transition can sting. This, though, is different. This is the real thing. Points, pressure, and a fanbase waiting to see what comes next.

Team News: Doku Blow, Grealish Responsibility

City’s new chapter begins without one of their most explosive weapons. Jeremy Doku aggravated a calf problem in that Community Shield loss and has been ruled out for two to three weeks. His direct running and chaos on the flank will be missed.

Savinho will not be involved either, with a move to Tottenham Hotspur progressing, and Omar Marmoush is expected to find himself in a similar situation if his own switch to north London is completed in time. Maresca’s options in the wide areas are being reshaped before a ball is even kicked in the league.

There is better news at the back. Matheus Nunes is available again after missing the Arsenal clash with a minor muscle issue. Maresca could use him at right-back, where Abdukodir Khusanov started at Wembley, a sign of the tactical flexibility the new coach is ready to lean on.

With Doku sidelined, the responsibility on Jack Grealish grows. He is set to start on the left, the role he stepped into off the bench in the Community Shield. On the opposite flank, Antoine Semenyo – signed from Bournemouth in January – is in line to face his former club, giving City’s attack a direct, powerful outlet on the right.

Phil Foden is expected to keep the central creative role behind Erling Haaland, the position many believe will define his peak years. Just behind them, Elliot Anderson, one of the club’s major summer investments, continues his bedding-in process alongside Mateo Kovačić in central midfield. It is a pairing that blends Anderson’s energy and drive with Kovačić’s rhythm and control, and Maresca will want it to click quickly.

Haaland’s August Habit

Whatever else has changed, one thing remains brutally familiar: Erling Haaland in August.

The Norwegian has scored seven goals in his last four Premier League opening weekends. Across his career, he has 22 in just 14 games in the month of August. Those are not warm-up numbers; they are statements. For a side adjusting to a new manager, having a centre-forward who treats the start of the season like mid-season form is a luxury few can match.

Behind him, Gianluigi Donnarumma continues in goal, a towering presence tasked with anchoring a new defensive shape. The back four in front of him is likely to read: Nunes at right-back, Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol as the central pairing, and Nico O’Reilly on the left. It is a blend of established authority, elite talent and youthful ambition.

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.

It is a side that carries the familiar weight of City’s quality but with enough new faces and tweaks to remind everyone this is not simply Guardiola’s team by another name. The structure is similar. The details are Maresca’s.

Kick-off and Broadcast Details

The match kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, 23 August 2026 at the Etihad Stadium.

In the UK, it will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

A new manager, a retooled squad, the same unforgiving standards. Bournemouth are the first test. The real question is not whether City can win on opening day – it is how quickly Maresca can convince everyone that this is his City now.