Manchester City will open up their Premier League campaign against AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad in a match up between two managers making their first EPL appearances for their respective clubs.
Enzo Maresca ushered in a new era of Manchester City football, taking over for legendary manager Pep Guardiola. Maresca started with a disastrous 3-0 loss to reigning league champions, Arsenal, in the FA Community Shield, his first competitive match with Man City.
A loss in the Community Shield is not typically a cause for panic, but it’s the way in which Maresca’s side were defeated that has sparked reaction from fans and the media.
Maresca will be looking to wipe the slate clean and start the Premier League on a good note by giving fans a display of his version of high-possession build-up football inspired by Guardiola.
If there’s one player to look out for in this game, it’s Erling Haaland. Little surprise considering he’s one of the best strikers in the world, but coming off a big World Cup and being held scoreless by Arsenal, he looks poised to start his Golden Boot defense with a goal in their first game of the season.
On the other side of the dugout, Bournemouth has a new face in Marco Rose at the wheel after former manager, Andoni Iraola, left the club to take over Liverpool. Rose will make his Premier League debut after spending years coaching in Austria and Germany.
This match up will make for an interesting one with Rose’s aggressive and high-energy style of play that is a complete opposite of Mascara’s focus on possession.
The last meeting between these two sides ended in a 1-1 draw which had massive implications, helping Bournemouth secure European football, and pushing City further out of the title race.
Man City will have to put on a much better display in front of their home fans against the Cherries as Maresca will look to start the season off with 3 points and get some backing from the Cityzen faithful.
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