Manchester City host Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Enzo Maresca’s first competitive Premier League match in charge of the club.
Maresca succeeds Pep Guardiola after a decade in which City won six league titles and the Champions League. The Community Shield defeat to Arsenal was a difficult beginning, and Sunday offers the first opportunity to put that result behind him.
Manchester City team news
Jeremy Doku will not feature. The Belgian winger aggravated a calf issue during the Community Shield defeat and has been ruled out for two to three weeks. Savinho is also unavailable, with a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the works, and Omar Marmoush is expected to be in the same position should his own move to north London be finalised in time. Matheus Nunes is back in contention after sitting out the Community Shield with a minor muscle problem and could replace Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back.
With Doku sidelined, Maresca is expected to turn to Jack Grealish on the left flank, a role he filled after coming on in the Community Shield. Antoine Semenyo, who joined from Bournemouth in January, operates on the opposite side, with Phil Foden retained centrally behind Erling Haaland. Elliot Anderson, a big-money summer signing, continues to partner Mateo Kovačić in central midfield as City look to bed in one of their most significant additions.
Haaland has scored seven goals in his last four Premier League opening weekends and 22 in just 14 appearances during the month of August throughout his career, giving City’s attack a reliable focal point regardless of the upheaval elsewhere. Gianluigi Donnarumma continues in goal behind a back four of Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly.
Manchester City predicted lineup
Manchester City possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Anderson, Kovacic; Semenyo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland
When will the match kick off?
The Premier League match kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, 23 August 2026.
How to watch Manchester City vs Bournemouth?
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.
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