Haaland shut out as Man City rally past Bournemouth
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Manchester City rallied from a 1-0 deficit to beat Bournemouth 2-1, with Marc Guéhi heading home from a corner in the 84th minute before Josko Gvardiol bundled in a stoppage-time effort that survived a lengthy VAR check.
- Marcus Tavernier gave Bournemouth a 26th-minute lead, leaving new City manager Enzo Maresca six minutes from a first league defeat in the dugout.
- Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola, had already lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield; City are without midfielders Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders this summer, forcing Guéhi into an advanced midfield role rather than his usual center-back spot.
- Erling Haaland debuted a buzz cut that went viral on social media, prompting Zlatan Ibrahimovic to ask on Haaland's YouTube channel if he'd 'lost a bet,' while Guardiola quipped: 'You're lucky to have hair. I would love to have it!'
- Haaland uncharacteristically missed several chances including a mistimed volley from close range, going goalless as the new look failed to translate into goals.
- City have signed Elliot Anderson this summer to address midfield depth as rivals Manchester United suffered a defeat of their own against Hull City on Saturday.
Why it matters: City's narrow escape exposes a midfield depth crisis that Maresca must solve quickly — Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Reijnders are all gone, forcing a center-back forward. Having already trailed Arsenal 3-0 in the Community Shield and now needing stoppage time to break down Bournemouth, the champions have won ugly in their first two matches and look vulnerable until reinforcements settle.
Ask SkimNews
