Manchester City's new era under Enzo Maresca got off to a disappointing start as Bournemouth claimed a 1-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium, with Marcus Tavernier's 27th-minute strike proving decisive against a City side that created plenty of chances but could not find a way past a resolute Bournemouth defence.
The match, played in front of a tifo welcoming Maresca to the club, began with a poignant minute's applause in memory of Kevin Keegan, the former City manager who passed away last month. Marco Rose, Bournemouth's new head coach following Andoni Iraola's departure, was also making his first competitive appearance in the dugout.
City looked lively early on, with Rico Lewis denied by a fine save from Djordje Petrovic after a clever flick from Phil Foden inside the box. Erling Haaland, who debuted a striking new buzzcut hairstyle for the new campaign, also had an early sight of goal but could not quite bring down a chest control cleanly with Petrovic well positioned.
The breakthrough for the visitors came against the run of play. City were caught badly out of position as the ball was worked out to Evanilson on the right, who found space to feed Tavernier inside the box. The Bournemouth midfielder made no mistake, slotting his finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma to give the Cherries a deserved lead.
City continued to probe before the break, with Haaland flicking a header at goal that Petrovic gathered, but they went in at half-time behind despite dominating large spells of possession. Marc Guehi somehow failed to punish a slip from Petrovic at a corner, blazing a free header wide from close range in one of the more glaring missed opportunities of the afternoon.
Maresca made no changes at the interval, and City continued to push forward after the restart, though Bournemouth's back line, marshalled well by Adam Smith against the lively Antoine Semenyo, held firm. Matheus Nunes was introduced early in the second half for Lewis, followed by a double change involving Mateo Kovacic and Rayan Cherki as City searched for an equaliser. Despite late pressure, including a stoppage-time booking for Evanilson after a foul on Guehi, City could not find a way through, and Bournemouth held on for a memorable win on the road.
Speaking before kick-off, Maresca had played down talk of immediate silverware. "At the beginning of the season you don't set targets in terms of trophies," he said. "The target since day one has been quite clear with the club and the players, it's to compete. You arrive in March and April to be there and then we will see what happens."
Rose, meanwhile, had spoken of the challenge his side faced against a Guardiola disciple in Maresca. "The things I saw so far with Chelsea and now Manchester City, it's a clear idea, a clear philosophy," he said. "You know what you get, you know what they want to play, you see the processes and the approach they have. It's quite intense against the ball, high pressing, and with the ball you know what quality you face. It's a tough challenge but we are quite positive."
The result leaves City with plenty to ponder as they open their Premier League campaign with a loss, while news broke during the match that the club has agreed a deal worth up to €100million to sign 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, as they continue to rebuild following the departures of several senior players including Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football and BBC Sport.