Manchester City rallies for first win of Enzo Maresca era, beating Bournemouth 2-1

Manchester City began their post-Pep Guardiola era with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Bournemouth in their opening Premier League fixture. The team, now managed by Italian Enzo Maresca, showed resilience after falling behind early in the match.

Fans welcomed Maresca, who previously served as Guardiola's assistant during the treble-winning 2022-23 season, with a banner reading "Welcome back Enzo." Maresca expressed his satisfaction with the win, calling it "the perfect day" and highlighting the joy of securing three points for the supporters.

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It is the perfect day, to be honest. I was very pleased when the match started, seeing the banner on the other side. And I was pleased because we give them the joy of the three points. It was quite emotional and the perfect day.

Despite the victory, star striker Erling Haaland did not find the back of the net, though he did debut a new shaved hairstyle. The team is also reportedly looking to replace departing midfielder Rodri, with speculation linking them to young Moroccan Ayyoub Bouaddi or a potential move for Argentine Enzo Fernández.

Meanwhile, Liverpool, also under a new manager, Andoni Iraola, started their season with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Newcastle. The Reds secured a point thanks to a penalty converted by Dominik Szoboszlai in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time, showcasing their fighting spirit.

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It is the result that pleases, scoring in the last minute. I value, above all, that the players never gave up. We had more chances and we also had the best.