Manchester City and Bournemouth will face off in the marquee fixture of Gameweek 1 of the 2026/27 Premier League season when they clash at the Etihad on Sunday.
Gameweek 1 of the 2026/27 Premier League season will continue on Sunday with three matches. The action on the day will start with two simultaneous games, including Manchester City vs Bournemouth at the Etihad.
Manchester City’s campaign in the 2026/27 season has already begun, as Arsenal cruised to a comprehensive 3-0 win over them in the FA Community Shield tie last weekend. The transition to the Enzo Maresca era has been a sobering effect for the Citizens, and they have an uphill task to stake their claim as Premier League title contenders.
Maresca’s men were not busy in their pre-season campaign, playing only three games and going undefeated with two wins and a draw. Meanwhile, Manchester City’s lack of activity in the market has been surprising, as they have signed only one player who improves the first-choice eleven, while half a dozen players have departed from the Etihad.
Bournemouth, like Manchester City, will experience a period of transition this season, as Marco Rose has replaced Andoni Iraola as the new head coach. The Cherries were impressive in their pre-season campaign, winning three of their five outings (D1 L1), including a commanding 10-1 victory over Genoa.
While they have not been highly active in the market in the ongoing transfer window, they have made some impressive moves, signing Antonio Silva, Juanlu Sanchez, and Alvaro Rodriguez. They have also ended up keeping Eli Junior Kroupi, though his foot injury contributed to that.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 3-1 win for Manchester City, with Tyler Adams scoring the consolation goal for Bournemouth. The Hard Tackle look closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Enzo Maresca has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s first Premier League game of the 2026/27 season. The Manchester City head coach may be bereft of the services of two first-team players vs Bournemouth on Sunday.
Jeremy Doku is the latest absentee after sustaining a calf injury in the FA Community Shield tie with Arsenal last week. The issue will keep him in the treatment room for two weeks. Additionally, Maresca has been sweating over Matheus Nunes’s fitness, though the Portuguese international should be fit and available to take on Bournemouth.
Gianluigi Donnarumma is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Bournemouth on Sunday. The backline will feature Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly.
As for the midfield unit, Mateo Kovacic should line up alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot, with Phil Foden reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City, with Jack Grealish and Antoine Semenyo being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Anderson, Kovacic; Semenyo, Foden, Grealish; Haaland
Bournemouth
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester City dugout, Marco Rose has a plethora of fitness issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the Etihad. The Bournemouth head coach may be without as many as nine first-team players on Sunday.
Eli Junior Kroupi is the most notable absentee, as he is recovering from a long-term foot injury. The Frenchman accompanies Julian Araujo (hamstring), Veljko Milosavljevic (knee), and Amine Adli (calf) in the treatment room, while Ryan Christie will serve a suspension this weekend. Meanwhile, Julio Soler, David Brooks, and Alvaro Rodriguez face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Djordje Petrovic will take his place between the sticks, with Bournemouth lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Sunday. The backline will feature Adam Smith, James Hill, Antonio Silva, and Adrien Truffert.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Lewis Cook and Alex Scott, even though Tyler Adams is fit and available to take on Manchester City. Justin Kluivert will reprise the no. 10 role, with Rayan and Marcus Tavernier being the two wide attackers. Finally, Evanilson will spearhead the Bournemouth attack this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evalinson
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won all nine Premier League home games vs Bournemouth by an aggregate score of 34-6. The Citizens have netted 3.8 goals per game when hosting the Cherries in the competition, their highest average against any opponent on home soil.
- Manchester City have won their opening game in 14 of the last 15 Premier League seasons, the exception a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in 2021/22. That is four more wins in Gameweek 1 than any other side has had since 2011/12 (Liverpool and Manchester United, 10).
- Bournemouth have won their opening game in just two out of nine Premier League campaigns (D3 L4), beating Cardiff City in 2018/19 and Aston Villa in 2022/23.
- Manchester City’s only home Premier League defeats of 2025/26 came in their first (0-2 vs Tottenham Hotspur) and last (1-2 vs Aston Villa) games of the season at the Etihad. The Citizens have not lost back-to-back home league games since May 2021.
- Bournemouth topped last season’s Premier League for direct attacks (83), with no side scoring more direct attack goals than them (6). Meanwhile, during new manager Marco Rose’s time at his previous club RB Leipzig from September 2022 to March 2025, they ranked top of Bundesliga for direct attacks (192) and joint-top for direct attack goals also (20).
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
While Antoine Semenyo, Rayan, and Marcus Tavernier were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Erling Haaland as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Manchester City and Bournemouth at the Etihad.
The Norwegian striker has scored 22 goals in 14 Premier League appearances in the month of August. Of all players to net ten or more times in a month in the competition, Haaland’s average of 54 minutes-per-goal in August is the best. For Manchester City to kick-start the campaign on a strong note, the 26-year-old needs to be at his best.
Prediction
Manchester City 1-1 Bournemouth
Sunday’s marquee fixture features two teams eager not to slip up at the start of their transition to a new era. Both clubs showed positive signs during their pre-season campaigns and carry reasonable momentum into this clash. However, Bournemouth’s run in the second half of the 2025/26 season will give them confidence going into this match.
The Cherries lost none of their final 18 Premier League games of 2025/26 under Andoni Iraola (W8 D10), the longest current unbeaten run in the division. So, Marco Rose is only the second manager whose first Premier League game at a club comes with the team on an ongoing 10+ match unbeaten run in the competition, after Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea in 2008 (21 unbeaten beforehand).
With Manchester City’s squad not looking as strong as it usually does, Bournemouth will feel they can pounce and hit them during the transitions, with Justin Kluivert looking in impressive touch. That should pave the way for a draw, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate at the Etihad.