Manchester City begin the Enzo Maresca era as they face Bournemouth in their opening game of the new Premier League season.
City fell to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield last week but hopes remain high at the Etihad, with Maresca’s side expected to challenge for the league once again this term.
However, the loss of players such as Rodri and Bernardo Silva has left the squad light in some areas, with City looking to add notable reinforcements in the last week or so of the transfer window.
Marco Rose is another manager who will be taking charge of his new side for the first time in a competitive fixture this weekend, and there may be a chance for the Cherries to get off to the perfect start this weekend against an unsettled City side.
*Follow all the latest build-up, team news and updates from the Etihad below: *
When is Man City v Bournemouth?
Manchester City host Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 23 August, with kick-off at 2pm BST.
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Bournemouth team news
For the Cherries, Eli Kroupi Jr., Veljko Milosavljevic and Julian Araujo are long-term absentees, while Amine Adli is set to return next month and Ryan Christie is suspended.
Tyler Adams has been passed fit, but David Brooks, Juanlu Sanchez, Alvaro Rodriguez and Julio Soler will face late fitness tests.
Manchester City team news
The big news out of City is that Jeremy Doku is unavailable, with the Belgian set to miss the first few weeks of the season with a calf strain.
The Cityzens have also agreed a deal to sell Savinho to Tottenham, while Omar Marmoush will also be unavailable as he nears a move to Spurs.
Matheus Nunes has been passed fit, while there are no more injury concerns.
Manchester City vs Bournemouth LIVE
Manchester City begin a new era this weekend as Enzo Maresca takes charge of his first Premier League game of the 2026/27 season at home to Bournemouth.
City begin their first season since 2016/17 without Pep Guardiola at the helm, though there is plenty of faith in Maresca, who himself previously served under the Spaniard as an assistant manager.
The Italian returns in the top job after an underwhelming spell at Chelsea, and he is tasked with returning City to the summit of the Premier League.
He will have to do it the hard way though, with City having lost the likes of Rodri and Bernardo Silva over the summer. The 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield comes too soon to cause real worry, but City will have to make a good start to the season to allay fears of wider troubles across the team.
As for Bournemouth, they begin a new era of their own under Marco Rose, with the German hoping to build on the foundations laid by Andoni Iraola as he leads the Cherries in their first ever season in Europe.
Good morning
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live blog coverage of Manchester City’s first game of the new Premier League season, against Bournemouth.
Enzo Maresca takes charge of City for the first time in a competitive fixture, with the Cityzens looking to bounce back from the dismal 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield last week.
As for Bournemouth, the Cherries are also starting a new era, with former Dortmund boss Marco Rose looking to get off to the perfect start with a dream win at the Etihad in his opening game.
We’ll have all the latest build-up, team news and updates right here.