Манчестер Сити Премьер лигийн улирлын эхний тоглолтод Борнмутыг 2-1 харьцаатай буулган авч, хоцрогдлоос гайхалтай эргэн ирэлт хийв.
Ням гарагт болсон тоглолтын эхний хагаст Маркус Тавернье гоолдож зочин багийг тэргүүлэлд хүргэсэн бол хоёрдугаар хагасын төгсгөлд Марк Гэхи тооны харьцааг тэнцүүлж, улмаар нэмэлт цагт Жошко Гвардиол ялалтын гоолыг орууллаа. Энцо Марескагийн гарааны бүрэлдэхүүнд Марк Гэхиг хагас хамгаалалтад тоглуулсан нь гэнэтийн шийдвэр байсан бөгөөд тэрээр тоглолтын турш бөмбөг таслах болон хамгаалалтад туслах үүргээ сайн гүйцэтгэсэн юм. Гэсэн хэдий ч багийн хамгаалалт, ялангуяа зүүн жигүүрийн хамгаалагч Жошко Гвардиолын довтолгоонд оролцох үед үүсэж буй сул орон зай нь Борнмутын довтолгоонуудад боломж олгож байв.
Тус баг энэ зуны солилцооны цонхны сүүлчийн долоо хоногт хагас хамгаалагч болон довтлогчийн байрлалд хүч сэлбэх шаардлагатай байгааг тоглолтын явц харууллаа. Одоогоор Лиллийн хагас хамгаалагч Аюуб Буаддитай гэрээ байгуулах тохиролцоонд хүрсэн гэх мэдээлэл байгаа ч багийн бүрэлдэхүүнд нэмэлт өөрчлөлтүүд хийх шаардлагатай хэвээр байна. Жак Грилишийн хувьд солилцооны цонх хаагдахаас өмнө багаа солих төлөвтэй байгааг эх сурвалжууд онцолж байна.
Манчестер Сити дараагийн тоглолтоо наймдугаар сарын 28-ны баасан гарагт Кристал Пэласын талбайд хийхээр товлогджээ. Энэхүү ялалт нь Марескагийн эриний эхлэлд тодорхой хэмжээний итгэл найдвар, урам зоригийг авчирч байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Manchester City left it late in their first Premier League match under Enzo Maresca, but came from behind in the last six minutes to beat Bournemouth 2-1 on Sunday.
Maresca’s first team selection for City in a league game sprung a few surprises, with Rico Lewis picked at right-back and Marc Guehi stationed in midfield alongside debutant Elliot Anderson. And the visitors took advantage of some defensive confusion midway through the first half, with Evanilson crossing to Marcus Tavernier at the back post to give Bournemouth the lead.
Guehi missed an open goal early in the second half, heading wide from a corner with half the net — and no goalkeeper — to aim at. It was a chance that registered 0.77 expected goals (xG), suggesting it was an excellent opportunity and an astonishing miss. Bournemouth were happy to sit back and soak up pressure as City continued to press, but just when it looked like the home side would fail to beat Djordje Petrovic, Guehi made amends for his earlier miss, powering home a header from another corner.
And in stoppage time, City completed the comeback via Josko Gvardiol, slipped through by substitute Rayan Cherki. Gvardiol was initially flagged offside but replays showed he was being played on by James Hill.
Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee analyses the game.
What did we learn about Maresca’s City today?
In the lowest moments of the Guardiola era, City would play well but miss chances and get caught out on the break, and this game looked to be following that pattern.
More specifically, left-back Gvardiol joining the press high up the pitch caused problems. When Gvardiol fails to win possession, it leaves the defence short-handed, and Rico Lewis has to tuck in to make a back three. That leaves space behind him, areas from which Bournemouth created chances, including a Justin Kluivert shot and Tavernier’s opener.
As implied by the similarities to the Guardiola era low points, City were generally good other than those worrying moments.
City need midfield reinforcements and a new winger, as evidenced by centre-back Guehi starting in midfield and Phil Foden and Lewis often being outmuscled on the right.
The City fans welcomed the returning Maresca, their former assistant manager and youth coach (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
Haaland should have put City 1-0 up, Guehi definitely should have equalised and then Haaland had two more decent chances in the final 20 minutes.
Gvardiol was played onside by James Hill for City’s winner (Sky Sports)
There were chances throughout the match and while City were spooked in the first half, Bournemouth’s threat diminished. In the second half, Marco Rose’s side barely threatened.
It may not have come convincingly but City’s victory was deserved. The late goal quashes any crisis talk and provides the Maresca era with some momentum.
Why was Guehi in midfield, and did it work?
Sure, it is not the solution that will convince City they do not need another midfielder, but Guehi was impressive in the middle of the pitch.
Even taking the equaliser out of the equation, he regularly won back the ball and mopped up messy situations. He is not a natural in the middle of the pitch, mostly sticking to safe passes, but he did not look uncomfortable.
Two headers from corners defined his performance — the first one an absolute sitter that he headed wide, the second one the late leveller.
In open play, he did well, including a burst to the byline that set up a good chance for Haaland with 15 minutes to go, but the difference between him and former City stars Rodri and Bernardo Silva — or the players they are chasing, Enzo Fernandez and Adam Wharton — is still sizeable.
Guehi heads wide with the goal gaping (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
Midfield reinforcements and a return to defence for the England international would be the best bet, especially as centre-back Ruben Dias appears to be struggling in possession.
What do City need to do in the final week of the transfer window?
Was using Guehi in midfield the classic ‘message to the board’?
Maresca certainly seems to have that trait in his locker. Nico Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic were on the bench, and Lewis, starting at right-back, would be a more obvious fit than Guehi in midfield.
Either way, City’s business is ramping up now, with the news breaking before the game of an agreement for summer-long target Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. City still need at least another midfielder before the end of the window and if Omar Marmoush also leaves, they probably need at least two forwards. Winger Allan is one target, although the 22-year-old will surely not be ready to hit the ground running, even if City can convince Palmeiras to sell him now.
Jack Grealish came on towards the end, as he did at half-time against Arsenal in the Community Shield last weekend, but the expectation is that he moves on before the end of the window. With the Bouaddi news and City’s late winner, they have flipped the script after a fraught week, when many fans were concerned about the club’s direction.
Grealish came on late in the game but is still expected to move on in this window (Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)
This will calm things down but there is still plenty to do before the window closes.
What next for Manchester City?
Friday, August 28: Crystal Palace (away), Premier League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
