Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol strike late to seal a dramatic 2-1 win over Bournemouth
MANCHESTER:
Manchester Metropolis made a successful begin to life with out Pep Guardiola as late targets from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory in opposition to Bournemouth on Sunday in Enzo Maresca’s first Premier League recreation because the Spaniard’s alternative.
Marcus Tavernier’s first half aim put Bournemouth forward on the Etihad Stadium earlier than Metropolis staged a pulsating fightback within the closing minutes.
Marc Guehi headed Metropolis’s equaliser with six minutes left earlier than Gvardiol stroked within the stoppage-time winner.
Guardiola gained 20 trophies, together with six Premier League titles, throughout an excellent decade with Metropolis.
His reign began with a late win at dwelling to Sunderland in 2016 and Maresca will hope his personal slender victory serves because the prelude to an equally profitable spell.
Maresca insists he can replicate Guardiola’s trophy haul if he’s given time to deal with the “large adjustments” on the membership.
Metropolis’s lacklustre 3-0 defeat in opposition to Arsenal in final weekend’s Neighborhood Protect raised questions on their potential to maintain tempo with the Premier League champions this season.
For a lot of their top-flight opener, Metropolis had been once more in need of inspiration in assault and cohesion on the again.
However they discovered a solution to dig out a consequence that allowed Maresca to breath a sigh of reduction.
It’s a time of main upheaval at Metropolis, with Rodri, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Tijjani Reijnders all leaving and Savinho set to affix Tottenham.
England midfielder Elliot Anderson has been Maresca’s solely main signing and he was unimpressive earlier than hobbling off within the second half.
Metropolis are set to signal teenage Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in a deal price £86 million ($117 million), based on stories on Sunday.
However extra new recruits can be wanted if Metropolis are to shut the hole on Arsenal.
Vital determination
Maresca wasted little time emulating one side of Guardiola’s reign as he unveiled a curious beginning line-up.
The Italian picked six gamers who may very well be classed as defenders, with England centre-back Guehi deployed in midfield and Nico O’Reilly moved from his traditional position on the left to a place nearer to Erling Haaland in assault.
Haaland shed his lengthy blond hair on the eve of the brand new season, describing his close-cropped look as “new season, new trim”.
The Metropolis striker, who starred for Norway on the World Cup, might need appeared sharp, however his ending was rusty when he someway prodded huge from close-range after O’Reilly’s cross offered him with a golden alternative.
Metropolis had been punished by an incisive counter from Bournemouth within the twenty sixth minute.
Evanilson’s completely weighted cross fizzed throughout the penalty space as Metropolis defenders Ruben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov stood statuesque, permitting Tavernier time and area to stroke a composed end previous Gianluigi Donnarumma from six yards.
Metropolis forwards Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo struggled to hyperlink up successfully with Haaland, whose glancing header was clawed away by Djordje Petrovic.
Guehi ought to have equalised instantly after the interval from Foden’s nook, however he surpassed Haaland’s woeful first half miss with an excellent worse header from nearly on the road.
Moans from supporters underwhelmed by Maresca’s fashion of play had been a continuing soundtrack to his time at Chelsea.
It will need to have alarmed Metropolis’s hierarchy to listen to comparable complaints from the stands earlier than Maresca had even accomplished 90 minutes in cost.
However Maresca made the crucial determination to ship on French playmaker Rayan Cherki and the transfer modified the course of the match.
It was Cherki’s nook that arrowed in direction of Guehi within the 84th minute, presenting the defender with an opportunity that he headed previous Petrovic in medical trend.
And in stoppage-time, Cherki slipped a deft move by means of the guts of the Bournemouth defence for Gvardiol to fit dwelling as Maresca punched the air in delight.