Gvardiol's late strike seals Maresca's winning start as Man City beat Bournemouth

Manchester City began their post-Pep Guardiola era with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bournemouth, as Josko Gvardiol netted a stoppage-time winner in Enzo Maresca's Premier League debut.

The hosts were stunned in the 26th minute when Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier finished a swift counter-attack, capitalizing on a defensive lapse. However, Maresca's side showed resilience, fighting back to level the score in the 84th minute through Marc Guehi's powerful header from a corner.

The decisive moment arrived in the 91st minute when Gvardiol, initially seeing a close-range finish ruled offside, was awarded the goal after a VAR review. The defender's late strike sparked jubilant celebrations at the Etihad Stadium, securing three points for City.

In contrast, Aston Villa endured a nightmare opening match, suffering a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion. All of Brighton's goals and a red card for Villa's Joao Gomes occurred within the first half, highlighting a dismal start to the season for Unai Emery's team.

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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.