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Key events
21 min: Bournemouth still haven’t had much of a look at goal just yet, but they are growing into this game.
18 min: Truffert and Foden both go to ground holding their ankles following a 50/50 challenge but can play on without needing any treatment.
15 min: Rayan goes for goal from the right side of the box and forces a save from Donnarumma. Bournemouth cannot follow the chance up from the resulting corner and City eventually clear.
13 min: Huge chance for City! O’Reilly makes a brilliant run down the left before crossing to Haaland in the box. However, the striker misjudges it and tries to bring the ball down with his chest, instead giving it straight to Petrović.
12 min: Rayan receives the ball on the right and plays Smith through on the overlap. The full-back goes for the cross but it’s blocked and cleared.
8 min: So, it looks like Guéhi is playing in a deeper midfield role alongside Anderson, while O’Reilly is further forward with the freedom to roam.
O’Reilly has been causing some problems for the Bournemouth defence so far.
6 min: Smith completely clatters into Semenyo on the left side, gifting City a free kick in a potentially dangerous position.
Nothing comes of the set piece and Bournemouth can make the clearance.
4 min: Big chance for City as the ball is played to Foden in the box, who brilliantly sets up Lewis with a clever flick. The full-back goes for goal but is denied by Petrović.
3 min: Smith runs into O’Reilly, who is starting in midfield, and wins a free kick for Bournemouth just inside the box.
2 min: On first glance, it looks as though Guéhi is playing in midfield. He’s definitely not as deep as the defensive line.
An interesting choice from Maresca.
Kick-off
We’re under way at the Etihad!
Before kick-off, there is a minute of applause to pay tribute to Kevin Keegan, who died last month. Keegan managed City from 2001 to 2005.
The teams are out and they have been greeted with a tifo reading “Welcome back, Enzo” along with some fireworks. Kick-off is just a few moments away.
Ewen Atkinson has messaged in about City’s transfer business. He says:
“Pleased to see final confirmation of the arrival of the eye-catching teen tyro of an international Ayyoub Bouaddi, whose YouTube showreels prove that even while inexperienced and not yet fully physically developed, he has feet as sweet as Rayan Cherki and rides hard challenges like the best of ‘em – see, say, Maradona and Agüero and Haaland – I have wondered and pondered on the strange-seeming lack of news about City’s business of buying in the current transfer window, which of course is soon to close.
“So many out, but so few in. Saddened to see the backs of Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Stones and Ake, though less so about the exits of Savinho and Marmoush and the strongly rumoured going of Gonzalez. But that’s eight of last season’s named squad out, and as first teamers ‘only’ Anderson and Bouaddi in.
“Enzo Maresca is a disciple of Pep Guardiola, but is he taking the smaller squad principle too far?
“Or is the loss of Guardiola putting the best players off signing? We shall see, ey.”
Krishnamoorthy says:
“League is a marathon. Only sustained standards will keep you close to the top. I took the average standing of the top 5 who have won the league at least once in the last 20 seasons. The result is a surprise.
“Chelsea leads the table with 3.5 closely followed by City at 3.55, Man Utd at 3.65, Arsenal at 3.9 and Liverpool at 4.5. None of this will matter when Hull wins the league this season!”
I’ve got some huge news to bring you now…
Erling Haaland has had a haircut.
Thoughts on the new look?
A lot has changed in the Premier League this season. We’ve got some new rules, nine new managers and several big-money transfers. Sarah Rendell has outlined some of them below.
Eric Peterson has messaged in from the United States to say:
“Good morning from Pittsburgh! USA goalkeeping legend Tim Howard provided a remarkably wise ex-player’s perspective on the TV here about Pep Guardiola’s departure from Manchester City. When Howard joined Everton, during David Moyes’ legendary first tour of duty there, it was on arriving players to prove themselves to him. It was Moyes’ club. When Moyes left, the shoe was on the other foot, and it was on replacement Roberto Martinez’s shoulders to prove himself to the Everton players. This is the challenge Maresca faces in the Man City dressing room. Whether it goes as well as it did for Martinez at Everton or as poorly for Moyes succeeding Sir Alex at Man United, time will tell.”
Feel free to message in today with any thoughts, feelings, observations or predictions. Is Erling Haaland a shoo-in for the Golden Boot again this season? Will City challenge for the title in Enzo Maresca’s first campaign? Can Bournemouth pull off another shock? Let me know!
More on City’s move for Ayyoub Bouaddi here:
Marco Rose spoke positively before his first competitive match in charge of Bournemouth, at Manchester City on Sunday. The German head coach was unveiled in May after Andoni Iraola made the decision to leave the south coast club.
The Cherries are one of nine Premier League teams to have made a managerial change this summer and Rose knows what to expect up against Enzo Maresca, another of the coaching newbies this season.
“The things I saw so far with Chelsea and now Manchester City, it’s a clear idea, a clear philosophy,” Rose said. “You know what you get, you know what they want to play, you see the processes and the approach they have.
“It’s quite intense against the ball, high pressing and, with the ball, you know what quality you face and you see a clear idea in established play. It’s a tough challenge but we are quite positive. We had a really good pre-season. I settled in very well and everyone supported me and the new coaching staff.”
Enzo Maresca has brushed off the loss of Rodri to Barcelona for £65m by stating Manchester City will search for the “new Rodri” in the same way Sergio Agüero was replaced by Erling Haaland…
Is Bouaddi the new Rodri?
Manchester City agree to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi
It has just emerged that Manchester City have agreed to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. The 18-year-old will join the club in a deal worth up to €100million (£85.5m) and is expected to sign a five-year contract with the option of another year.
Speaking ahead of today’s match, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said: “At the beginning of the season you don’t set targets in terms of trophies. The target since day one has been quite clear with the club and the players, it’s to compete. You arrive in March and April to be there and then we will see what happens.”
A look at the league table…
As expected, Savinho is not in the Manchester City squad today as he closes in on a move to Tottenham. Omar Marmoush, who has also been linked with Spurs, has been named as a substitute.
It’s believed the duo could join the north London club for a combined £160million. Savinho will cost £85m while Marmoush has been priced at £75m.
Team news
Manchester City starting line-up: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Abdukodir Khusanov, Rúben Dias (C), Marc Guéhi, Joško Gvardiol, Rico Lewis; Elliot Anderson, Nico O’Reilly; Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden; Erling Haaland.
Subs: Gerónimo Rulli, Omar Marmoush, Mateo Kovačić, Rayan Cherki, Nico González, Jack Grealish, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Vitor Reis, Matheus Nunes.
Bournemouth starting line-up: Đorđe Petrović; Adrien Truffert, James Hill, António Silva, Adam Smith (C); Lewis Cook, Alex Scott, Marcus Tavernier; Justin Kluivert, Rayan, Evanilson.
Subs: Will Dennis, David Brooks, Ben Gannon-Doak, Tyler Adams, Bafodé Diakité, Juanlu Sánchez, Alex Tóth, Daniel Jebbison, Álvaro Rodríguez.
Yesterday’s results
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Hull City 2-0 Manchester United
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Ipswich Town 2-1 Sunderland
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Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace
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Nottingham Forest 1-0 Leeds United
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Brentford 3-0 Tottenham
Preamble
Hello and welcome to coverage of the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Bournemouth. Prem football returned on Friday and what a weekend it has been so far. Arsenal began their title defence with a 3-0 win over newly-promoted Coventry City, but the first Saturday of the campaign produced a few shocks…
Manchester United fell to a shock 2-0 loss to Hull City at the MKM Stadium following goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy. Sunderland suffered a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town, while Brentford cruised to a 3-0 win against Tottenham. Elsewhere, Leeds United beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 and Everton clinched a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Given those results, it is pretty impossible to predict which way this game will go. The last time these two sides met the points were shared in a 1-1 draw – a result which saw Arsenal confirmed as Premier League champions.
City will surely be looking for revenge today as they return to the Etihad Stadium.
Kick-off is at 2pm BST – join me!
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