Guehi's surprise midfield role pays off as Man City edge past Bournemouth
New Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca surprised many by deploying defender Marc Guehi in a holding midfield role in his first Premier League match in charge, and the gamble paid off with a late winning goal against Bournemouth. City avoided a second straight defeat to start the season, winning after Guehi scored in the 84th minute.
New Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca made an unexpected tactical choice in his first Premier League game in charge, fielding defender Marc Guehi in a holding midfield role. The decision raised eyebrows before kick-off, given City lined up with six players capable of playing as defenders, but it ultimately proved to be a smart move.
Attention before the match had largely been on Manchester United and Tottenham following their disappointing opening results, but for 84 minutes City risked drawing similar unwanted focus. The club had suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to champions Arsenal in the Community Shield the previous week and were heading toward back-to-back defeats to open the season.
However, a late header from Guehi, followed by a composed finish from Josko Gvardiol, secured an unlikely comeback win for City against Bournemouth.
Player and manager reaction
Guehi said the positional switch had been the manager's idea, tried out during the training week, and that he was pleased it worked out. He noted he had not played much in midfield before but felt comfortable thanks to support from teammates. Maresca said Guehi had never played as a midfielder before but performed very well, adding that he had believed for some time, since his days managing Guehi at Crystal Palace, that the defender could operate in midfield.
Wider context at the club
Maresca left Mateo Kovacic on the bench for the match and has been open about wanting new signings before the transfer window closes on 1 September. Shortly before kick-off, it emerged City had agreed an £86m fee to sign midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, though Maresca said he had not yet discussed the deal with the club's decision-makers. New signing Elliot Anderson also made his Premier League debut for City in the match.
Guehi's individual performance was notable — he won all three of his tackle attempts, completed 94.9% of his passes, and won eight of his 11 duels. Asked where he might play next, Guehi joked he could even end up playing up front.
