Manchester City claimed a 2:1 victory over Bournemouth in the opening match of the Premier League season at the Etihad Stadium. The result moves the hosts to the top of the table with six points from two fixtures, while Bournemouth remain in 14th place with just one point.
Bournemouth took an unexpected lead through M. Tavernier in the 26th minute, catching City off guard. To be fair, the visitors looked organised and dangerous on the counter, creating their only big chance before the break. Evanilson received a yellow card on 45+1 minutes as City began to assert control.
The second half belonged to the hosts. By then, City had accumulated 2.25 expected goals against Bournemouth's 0.65, and the pressure told. M. Guehi equalised in the 84th minute before J. Gvardiol struck twice in stoppage time to complete the turnaround.
City dominated possession at 66 per cent and created four big chances compared to Bournemouth's single opportunity. They registered six shots on target from 11 attempts inside the penalty area, though not all found the net. Bournemouth were more efficient with their limited chances, hitting 80 per cent accuracy on target.
Substitutions shifted the momentum at different stages. R. Lewis came on for City in the 57th minute, while Bournemouth brought on L. Cook and J. Kluivert together at the hour mark. Bournemouth also made three changes around the 75th minute, including bringing off Evanilson who had been booked.
The win puts City top of the table after their defeat to Arsenal last weekend, ending a barren spell of results. Bournemouth's defeat follows a draw with Real Betis and extends a run of just one point from two games this season.
