MANCHESTER, England, Aug 23 : Enzo Maresca could hardly have scripted a more dramatic start to Premier League life as Manchester City manager.For more than 80 minutes on Sunday, the doubts surrounding City's post-Pep Guardiola future appeared well founded as Bournemouth led at the Etihad Stadium and threatened to spoil the start of a new era. The backdrop to this season has been one of uncertainty, with Guardiola's departure ending a decade of unprecedented success in which City won six Premier League titles and finally conquered Europe as part of a historic treble in 2022-23, while the exits of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones left Maresca with a squad searching for its new identity. But City produced the sort of late surge that became a hallmark of the Guardiola years, with Marc Guehi equalising in the 84th minute before Josko Gvardiol struck a stoppage-time winner in a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory.
Erling Haaland, fresh from a World Cup that elevated him to cult-hero status and sporting a newly shaved head after ditching his trademark blonde locks, endured a frustrating afternoon in front of goal, including a glaring early miss from Nico O'Reilly's inviting cross. City, however, grew into the game, finishing with 13 shots to Bournemouth's five and monopolising possession for long spells.Their persistence was finally rewarded when Guehi powered home a corner six minutes from time. Then in the 91st minute, substitute Rayan Cherki poked a clever pass through the Bournemouth defence and Gvardiol swivelled before slotting home. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, only for VAR to overturn the decision and send the Etihad into celebration.'FANTASTIC SPIRIT'"The spirit was fantastic," Maresca said.A giant "Welcome Back Enzo" banner had greeted the new boss, once Guardiola's assistant at City, before kickoff and the Italian admitted the ending made for an emotional occasion. "It's the perfect day, to be honest. The perfect day," he said. "I was pleased at the end because we give the fans the joy of the three points. I have to say that was quite emotional." Maresca hailed the impact of Cherki, whose introduction midway through the second half helped transform the game. "The impact was unbelievable," he said. "He's that kind of player."Maresca smiled when asked about Cherki's game-changing cameo, saying the French forward had never been shy about showing his frustration when left out of the starting 11."If he's (sitting) next to me and he's not happy, you all realise that he's not happy, because he's doing anything just to show everyone that he's unhappy," Maresca said.Asked if Cherki may start in the near future, he said: "Absolutely."KEY PLAYERS STILL BUILDING FITNESS The City manager also pointed to the fact that several key players - Haaland, Guehi, Cherki, O'Reilly, and Elliott Anderson - only returned around 10 days ago following the World Cup."Unfortunately, we are still four, five players that for them, it's pre-season," Maresca said. "So it's a huge difference in terms of physicality. But we are going to be better and better."Maresca also moved Guehi, normally a centre back, into the midfield."It's just in this moment, to find a solution," he explained. "I know Marc from Palace, and I always thought that he could be a good midfielder. Overall, it was a good performance from him."Unfortunately (the squad) is a work in progress," he added. "That's why I'm looking for new solutions, different things." One game into the new era, City may not have looked like the all-conquering force of the Guardiola years, but they showed enough resilience, quality and belief to suggest predictions of their decline may prove premature.
