Photo: Ank kumar / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester City opened their Premier League campaign with a dramatic 2-1 home victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, coming from behind to claim all three points in front of a record Etihad Stadium crowd of 60,645.
Marcus Tavernier put Bournemouth ahead midway through the first half, but City responded with late goals from Marc Guéhi and Joško Gvardiol — the latter arriving in added time to seal the win.
"It's the perfect day to be honest," said City manager Enzo Maresca in his post-match press conference. "I was glad when it was over also, to give them the joy of the three points. It was quite emotional and the perfect day."
Maresca was also welcomed before kick-off by a large banner unfurled over the East Stand, marking his first Premier League match in charge of the club.
The Italian was satisfied with his side's performance despite the slow start. "The spirit was fantastic. It's a game that we deserved to win," he said. "In the second half they didn't have a shot on goal until the 80th minute so I think we deserved it."
Maresca cautioned against reading too much into the result, however, drawing a parallel with last week's Community Shield defeat to Arsenal. "I feel in the same position as after Arsenal," he said. "I don't see a big difference from one week ago to today. This is a work in progress."
The manager also highlighted an experimental tactical move, fielding Guéhi in midfield. "I'm looking for new solutions like Guéhi as a midfielder, different. We need to prepare the team for one season," he added.