Gvardiol's late strike gives Maresca winning start as City beat Bournemouth; Villa thrashed by Brighton

The post-Pep Guardiola era at Manchester City began with a dramatic flourish as Josko Gvardiol's stoppage-time winner sealed a 2-1 victory against Bournemouth. This marked a successful Premier League debut for new manager Enzo Maresca.

City's victory was hard-fought. They fell behind in the 26th minute when Marcus Tavernier finished a swift counter-attack. However, Maresca's side rallied, with Marc Guehi equalizing in the 84th minute before Gvardiol snatched the winner in the 91st minute after a VAR review overturned an offside call.

"Everyone is proud in the moment, it's the opening game of the season and we know how important it is, especially with all the changes we've had in the previous weeks," Gvardiol told Sky Sports. "We need to enjoy this, we deserve it and I'm happy with the three points."

In contrast, Aston Villa endured a disastrous start to their campaign, succumbing to a 4-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion. The match was effectively decided in the first half, which saw an own goal, a Maxim De Cuyper strike, and two goals from Jack Hinshelwood. Villa's woes were compounded by Joao Gomes' red card for violent conduct in the 40th minute. The club also faced significant player departures during the transfer window.

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Everyone is proud in the moment, it's the opening game of the season and we know how important it is, especially with all the changes we've had in the previous weeks. We need to enjoy this, we deserve it and I'm happy with the three points.