Manchester City comes from behind to beat Bournemouth thanks to Rayan Cherki (2-1)

23.08.26 FT English Premier League

Manchester City

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Bournemouth

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Trailing for much of the match against Bournemouth, Manchester City turned the game on its head in the closing minutes thanks to two moments of brilliance from Rayan Cherki.

The miracle unfolded at the Etihad Stadium. On the opening day of the Premier League, Manchester City snatched a dramatic victory over Bournemouth (2-1). The Cherries had drawn first blood as early as the 26th minute through Marcus Tavernier and managed to hold on to their lead for nearly an hour.

Rayan Cherki completely changes the game

With his side seemingly headed for defeat, Enzo Maresca played his trump card by bringing on Rayan Cherki. The Frenchman instantly flipped the script. In the 84th minute, his perfectly delivered left-footed corner found Marc Guéhi, whose header brought the Skyblues level.

Eight minutes later, Cherki took on the defense at the edge of the box before threading a pass to Josko Gvardiol inside the area. The Croatian controlled the ball, beat his marker and fired between his legs to outwit Djordje Petrovic. With two assists to his name, the attacking midfielder handed Maresca a stunning comeback win in his first league match in charge.

The Italian manager also surprised many by deploying Guéhi in midfield, while awaiting the imminent arrival of Ayyoub Bouaddi, signed from LOSC for around €100 million including bonuses, as a replacement for Rodri. City will next travel to Crystal Palace on Friday, August 28 at 8pm, at Selhurst Park.

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Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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