Bournemouth make the trip to face Manchester City to kick off their Premier League season following an intensive pre-season schedule, with both clubs now under new management.
Marco Rose takes charge of his first competitive match as Bournemouth manager, while Enzo Maresca begins his first league fixture as City manager after overseeing last weekend’s 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal.
City enter the new campaign determined to reclaim the title they narrowly lost to Arsenal last year, whereas Bournemouth are targeting a solid beginning to what promises to be a landmark season for the club.
Team news
Rose has revealed that four Bournemouth players have resumed training and could be involved in some capacity against City.
These include Alex Scott, who is available again after serving a one-match ban triggered by his dismissal against Real Betis, alongside injury returnees Tyler Adams, Alvaro Rodriguez and Juanlu Sanchez.
Ryan Christie will be absent after his red card during the closing stages of last season against Fulham.
Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes face late fitness tests for City, while Omar Marmoush is also being evaluated.
Savinho sat out the Community Shield due to illness and remains a transfer target for Tottenham.
Head-to-head
City have historically dominated this fixture, securing 22 victories across 26 encounters, with Bournemouth managing just one win over the Citizens, achieved two seasons ago at Vitality Stadium.
Last term, Bournemouth suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Etihad, with Erling Haaland scoring twice around a Tyler Adams strike before Nico O’Reilly added a second-half goal.
However, Bournemouth hold cherished memories of the return fixture, as a 1-1 draw at Dean Court in the penultimate match of the campaign sealed their qualification for European competition this season.
Junior Kroupi gave Bournemouth the lead before Haaland equalised late on, confirming the club’s place among Europe’s elite and ending City’s title ambitions.
Form
Pre-season results are rarely reliable indicators of competitive performance, yet Bournemouth have enjoyed an encouraging summer.
The squad have adapted well to Rose’s tactical approach, notching three victories, one draw and one defeat throughout their friendly programme.
Those wins came against St Pauli, Augsburg and Genoa, with a combined scoreline of 19-4.
They followed this with a 2-2 draw at Real Betis before a 2-1 loss to Mainz to conclude their pre-season preparations.
City, for their part, played out a 1-1 draw with International, defeated a K-League team 3-1 and beat Atlético Madrid by the same margin, before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield at the weekend.
AFC Bournemouth visit Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Sunday, August 23, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm.