Enzo Maresca marked his first Premier League match as Manchester City head coach with a bold selection that helped his side recover for a dramatic 2–1 victory over Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.

Rather than selecting a conventional defensive midfielder, Maresca deployed new signing Marc Guéhi—normally a centre-back—in central midfield alongside Elliot Anderson. The decision was a surprise, particularly in a first league match after Pep Guardiola’s departure, but Guéhi’s performance provided City with physicality, composure and another tactical option in the middle of the pitch.[sports.yahoo +2]
City fell behind to Marcus Tavernier’s first-half goal and struggled for much of the contest. However, Guéhi headed in an 84th-minute equaliser, before Josko Gvardiol scored the stoppage-time winner after a VAR review overturned an initial offside decision.

Guéhi said the midfield role had been planned during the week and joked that he might play up front next. Maresca described the 26-year-old as a possible midfield solution, although he made clear that he is still identifying his preferred team and called City “a work in progress.”

The result gave Maresca a winning start in the league, but it did not erase the evidence that City are still adapting to a new structure. Their need for greater midfield depth remains a major issue, and the Guéhi experiment may prove to be a useful emergency solution rather than a permanent tactical change.