Bournemouth

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Former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington told BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark on the latest episode of Cherries: Unpicked that defensive set-pieces were the "catalyst" in Bournemouth's capitulation at Manchester City.

Marc Guehi's 84th-minute equaliser - a free header in the area - sparked a City comeback as Enzo Maresca's side turned the opening game of Bournemouth's season on its head.

"Guehi was allowed a free header and I would lay the blame on the players if that was the only time in the game that had happened," said Partington.

"But on a second occasion, Guehi was allowed a free run at the ball. Perhaps that needs to be looked at.

"Under new management, perhaps you have to get something wrong to then get it right."

Last season, Andoni Iraola's side conceded 26 goals from set-pieces, the most amount of any team during the 2025-26 campaign.

Rose has introduced former Southampton set-piece coach Nicolas Gagnon as the new set-piece coach in the summer.

Gagnon was also in charge of Canada's set-piece's during the 2026 World Cup.

Bournemouth will face Everton next in Rose's first home game at the Vitality, but Partington expects a tough challenge from David Moyes' side.

"Everton are a very physical team with a lot of firepower in terms of their offensive set-pieces. When they came to the Vitality last year, in football terms, they did a job on Bournemouth."

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

Chelsea have had three bids rejected this summer for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott. (The i), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Manchester City and Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

Man City fans

Brian: City showed belief and grit in this opening game of the season. The conceding of an early goal is a concern but they dug deep and played for each other to score two well-worked, late goals. The team played as a unit and with high-possession stats they have lost nothing from previous seasons. A good watch and fans must go with the changes. This was a good day and there is a lot more to come from this squad.

Anthony: Lucky. Cherki made the difference. City won't stay in top four at this rate.

Luis: So far Maresca has NOT impressed me. He seems to choose the wrong team formations and only corrects it at the end or, in the case of the Community Shield, too late. I hope he learns that without creativity and field reading he will not succeed. Rodri understood this fault of Maresca's, so he left. Maresca seems to be stuck in the past.

Ged: Very lucky to win. Bournemouth played well and City were average. Better teams will tear City's defence apart if they perform like that. But, it's the first of 38, the manager is getting his ideas across and the players are finding their feet. No panic required. It's three points. Onwards!

Bournemouth fans

Toby: Thought the performance was extremely promising, with the passing and pressing on point. Just unfortunate to miss out late on. Can only be excited for what is to come under Rose.

Michael L: When will Bournemouth (and others) learn that scoring one goal and then parking the bus only works against poor sides - and even if it does work, that the most likely result is a draw. Even getting a second goal doesn't always get a result with these tactics. It is also very boring.

Kirsi: In similar fashion to the defeat from last season at Anfield, Bournemouth proved themselves as a quality side capable of putting up a good fight against top clubs. However, it was the late goals that made us drop points once again. I think the performance against City was good for the most part, but there are still areas we need to improve on in order to carry over the success from last season into theis new era for our club.

Michael K: We were not aggressive enough and played too many backwards passes, even from free-kicks. Overall, a disappointing performance against an underperforming City team.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio will have a medical at Bournemouth on Monday before joining on loan from Juventus.

The 29-year-old will provide competition for number one Djordje Petrovic and step in should the Serb lose form or suffer an injury.

The Cherries will not pay a loan fee but will cover the Italian's full salary. They are also due to pay a £1m penalty fee if they do not trigger the option to buy him for £12m, plus a further £2.5m in add-ons.

Gregorio is an Inter Milan youth product who has spent his entire career in Italy, going from the third division on loan at Renate to Serie A with Monza in 2020, before joining Juventus in 2024.

The move is significant as it signals that Marco Rose's side have largely completed their transfer business this summer, barring any surprises.

They have signed striker Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche, defender Antonio Silva from Benfica and full-back Juanlu Sanchez from Sevilla on permanent deals.

However, keeping hold of key players such as midfielder Alex Scott, who was the subject of a £64m bid from Chelsea, and forward Eli Junior Kroupi has also been important.

Bournemouth wanted to keep their strongest possible squad together as they prepare for their first European campaign in the Europa League.

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Marcus Tavernier spoke to BBC Radio Solent after Bournemouth's defeat at Manchester City: "Ultimately, it's disappointment and frustration. To play so well for 85 minutes and concede so late on in the ways we did was not good enough. We know how big set-pieces are in football these days, so to let someone get a free header like that, we have to have a look at ourselves and work on that.

"The boys gave a good showing of what we want to do with the new manager. It was a perfect test for us against a top side. It's frustrating not to come away with anything."

On his goal: "That is something we've been working on with the manager; being confident on the ball, playing through lines. I felt we could have done that more but that was the perfect example of what we want to do. That is the kind of goal we need to be scoring to succeed this season."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here or hit play below

Bournemouth starting XI:

Djordje Petrovic: A diving save at full stretch denied both Haaland and Semenyo but beaten late on by Guehi and Gvardiol. 6

Adam Smith: The skipper kept Semenyo under lock and key throughout the game. 6

Antonio Silva: The Portuguese debutant looked comfortable as a ball-playing centre-half and showed he can mix it with the rough stuff against Haaland. Looks like being another shrewd signing but was yellow-carded for dissent. 7

James Hill: Continued his excellent form from last season by putting in a solid performance in the heart of the Bournemouth defence. 6

Adrien Truffert: Covered his centre-backs well to deny Haaland in the first half. 6

Alex Scott: A star in the making. The midfielder showcased why he has been linked with a move to City, displaying sublime composure on the ball throughout. 8

Lewis Cook: Nothing flashy, just a hardworking cog in Bournemouth's well-oiled machine. A real team player. 7

Marcus Tavernier: Coolly converted the opener at the back post to stun the home supporters and narrowly curled wide before half-time. 8

Justin Kluivert: Bournemouth's pacy frontline caused City issues and Kluivert was another menace. Unlucky not to score. 6

Rayan: Full of running and played a major part in the goal. Forced Donnarumma into a good save at his near post. 7

Evanilson: Picked out Tavernier perfectly with his low cross but was booked too. 6

Bournemouth substitutes:

Tyler Adams (on 75, Cook): 5

Daniel Jebbison (on 75, Evanilson): Forced Donnarumma into a good save after coming on. 6

Alex Toth (on 75, Kluivert): 5

Ben Gannon-Doak (on 89, Rayan): 5

Subs not used: Dennis, Brooks, Diakite, Sanchez, Rodriguez

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Jordan Clark and Joe Partington dissect Bournemouth's opening game of the Premier League season. The Cherries were minutes away from recording their first ever win at the Etihad, but conceded two late goals to come away on the wrong side of a 2-1 defeat.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

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Bournemouth fans would have feared a dip after enjoying the best season in their history last campaign. Sixth place took them into Europe for the first time ever.

And it was a surprise when boss Andoni Iraola announced in April he would be leaving in the summer - eventually joining Liverpool.

Ex-Salzburg and Leipzig boss Marco Rose was confirmed soon after - replacing Iraola at the end of last season, giving him plenty of time to watch from a distance and get to know his new team.

Only one of the side who started against City was a new signing, with Portuguese defender Antonio Silva the replacement for Marcos Senesi, who left for Tottenham.

The Cherries showed plenty of the aggressive, positive play that they produced under Iraola thanks to such dangerous attackers on the break - including Rayan, Evanilson and Tavernier, who all linked up well for the opening goal.

Letting the lead slip late on will be hugely frustrating and ends their long unbeaten run, but Rose, and Cherries supporters, should still have seen plenty to encourage them from a game they would not have expected to win.

And if they had picked up Guehi from a corner maybe they would have done.

Marco Rose spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Bournemouth's defeat against Manchester City: "It's really disappointing. At the end we needed to finish the game. We had many good moments, we suffered, we found triggers to win balls, we had chances. We reacted well to difficult phases of the game. But at the end we had two situations where we defended not well enough. One corner kick where we got blocked and one situation we were just too passive around our box.

"It is what it is. I saw some really good efforts and the basics were all good. We now have to work on details to win these kinds of games away.

"It's always difficult here because you know how good they are in possession. We did many things in the right way but in the end maybe it was a question of power. But if you see the clock ticking and it's five minutes to go you need to stay active. You need to go forward and put them in uncomfortable situations. These are things we are going to speak about and we will try to do it better next time.

"All in all it was a good away game from us. But you want to make your fans happy. We didn't do that today but we will do it in the next games."

Listen to more from Rose, speaking to BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark, on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Bournemouth lost a Premier League game in which they led at half-time for only the second time in the last 36 instances (W25 D9), after November 2025 v Sunderland (2-3).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Man City's performance

What did you make of Bournemouth's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are three games in the Premier League on Sunday as the opening weekend continues, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Man City v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Liverpool (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Brighton v Aston Villa" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Newcastle match", for example.

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Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

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A lot of people have been putting the boot into Manchester City after their performance in the Community Shield.

I don't think they will win the Premier League, but they aren't going to fall away to mid-table either. Look at the players they have got - I still think they will be right up there.

I'm expecting Bournemouth to be very attack-minded under Marco Rose, after watching his teams at RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.

He is a front-foot coach but, in his first game, will he really be brave enough try to go toe-to-toe with City at Etihad Stadium?

I think he will and, because of that, I think there will be goals... but most of them will be scored by City.

Sutton's prediction: 4-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

Enzo Maresca takes charge of Manchester City in a Premier League match for the first time since succeeding Pep Guardiola as his side face a Bournemouth team who are also led by a new boss themselves in Marco Rose. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into their opening-weekend encounter.

For the first time since May 2016 someone other than Guardiola leads City into a Premier League season.

The post-Guardiola world under successor Maresca got off to an inauspicious start with a Community Shield humbling by rivals Arsenal.

The departure of the imperious Rodri to Barcelona this week was a blow to Maresca's planning for the season and another hit to the squad's leadership group that has already lost John Stones and Bernardo Silva during a real summer of change at the Etihad.

The three of them could boast a combined 1,053 appearances for City and 47 trophies between them during Guardiola's golden era in charge.

With Tijjani Reijnders having also left this week, new £116m signing Elliot Anderson currently looks a little lonely in central midfield. But he might not be alone for long with teen sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi set to arrive for £85m and rumours surrounding Enzo Fernandez joining from Chelsea still circulating.

After such a testing time against Arsenal, Bournemouth appear to be ideal opponents for City to face first up. They have won all nine of their Premier League home matches against the Cherries by an aggregate score of 34-6 - which works out at an average of a remarkable 3.8 goals per game.

It is not just City that are in flux after bidding farewell to a record-breaking boss.

While Maresca has huge shoes to fill, new Bournemouth boss Rose has a daunting job of his own to replicate the impact Andoni Iraola had at Vitality Stadium.

Under the Spaniard, they first equalled the highest league position in the club's history and then surpassed it last season by finishing sixth.

They also broke their points tally for a top-flight campaign in both of the past two campaigns with the cherry on top being a place in Europe for the first time.

Rose's first task is a daunting one as they look to extend their club record 18-match unbeaten run in the top flight - set under Iraola - to a ground they have never won at before.

The stats certainly seem to suggest Rose is a natural fit to replace Iraola. Bournemouth topped last season's Premier League for direct attacks (83) and for goals scored from direct attacks with six. During Rose's two and a half years in charge of RB Leipzig his side sat top of the Bundesliga rankings for direct attacks (192) and joint-top for direct attack goals (20).

Things have been positive, albeit a touch quiet, on the transfer ins over the summer but, most importantly, they have so far kept hold of star players Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi, albeit the latter is out until November with a fractured metatarsal.

The obvious threat Bournemouth must look out for, of course, is Erling Haaland. His remarkable tally of 22 goals in 14 Premier League appearances in the month of August have come at an average of one every 54 minutes.

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Bournemouth can halt the redevelopment of Vitality Stadium "at any minute" and be ready to host a match "the next day", according to president of business operations Jim Frevola.

The Cherries' multi-phase project will see the Premier League's smallest stadium increase its capacity to over 20,000 seats by summer 2027, but the immediate priority is their home fixture against Everton on Saturday, 29 August.

"It will absolutely be ready," Frevola told BBC Radio Solent. "There are pieces of the project that won't be finished, but that is going to take another year or two.

"We have a long project ahead of us and a lot of work to do. The plan was never to be 100% ready for the first match, it was just to be ready and we will be.

"As I think we put out publicly, the corners will be ready shortly after the start of the season and we are still on target for that. The progress might come in stages, but there is a chance one corner will be ready for Everton.

"The weather has cooperated this summer so I appreciate that. There is so much we have managed to get done.

"We have created an all-new perimeter gate which will allow for an open concourse and help with all the queuing issues we've had in the past. We have redone all of the seats that had faded from red to pink, with the exception of the South Stand.

"We have also done work on the inside of the Main Stand and the tunnel to be Premier League and Uefa compliant."

Listen to the full conversation above or listen on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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Bournemouth's excellent 2025-26 season saw them qualify for Europe for the very first time, mainly thanks to having one of the best attacks in the league.

Only four sides scored more goals than the Cherries and they also ranked fifth for shots and expected goals, showing it wasn't just down to good finishing.

If anything, the team should have scored more goals as they put away four fewer than expected, given the number and quality of chances they had.

The club lost three of their back four and their goalkeeper last summer - and it showed defensively.

Only six teams conceded more goals, and only the three relegated sides plus Nottingham Forest were worse in terms of xG against.

New head coach Marco Rose will hope to tighten things up at the back without losing any of the Cherries' attacking verve this season.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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In the Premier League last season, 13 of the 20 teams finished with between 40 and 60 points - the most in an English top-flight campaign since 2003-04 (also 13).

Was the Premier League so competitive in 2025-26 because the quality of the 'lesser' teams got better or the top teams got worse? It is hard to know for sure.

Given how savvy clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are, the vast amounts of money that enable even bottom-half sides to sign the best talent from abroad and the Premier League's current dominance of the Europa League and Conference League, it would seem to be the former.

However, the fact that promoted play-off winners Sunderland were able to finish above 13 teams in their first season back suggests the league was maybe not as strong as we think.

What we do know is that whether because they got worse or their opponents got better, four of the sides that finished in the top seven in 2024-25 - champions Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest - took 79 points fewer between them last season.

While Forest's decline was perhaps expected given their incredible seventh-place finish in 2024-25 and their journey to the Europa League semi-finals last season, the others were far more surprising.

Sunderland and Leeds smashed the recent run of promoted sides struggling to compete by taking 64 more points than the teams they replaced in the top flight.

As a result, this season will be a bit of an upside-down one in that Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland have European campaigns to navigate while Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle do not.

Will we therefore see a bounce-back to the more 'traditional' order in 2026-27 or are we truly entering a new, fiercely-competitive era of the Premier League?

Read more on the Premier League's competitiveness

George Booth
BBC Sport journalist

Bournemouth boss Marco Rose has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Marco Rose confirmed the Cherries had "suffered some injuries" during pre-season, but the German boss did not name players who may be ruled out for the opening game of the season.

• The former RB Leipzig boss is "happy" with his squad and that everything was "in a good spot" after Bournemouth acted early during the summer window.

• Bournemouth's debut season in Europe will welcome a "big challenge", but Rose said his side "are looking forward to playing in Europe and representing our club in Europe".

• Rose confirmed the Cherries must still prioritise the Premier League and the cups alongside their schedule with European football. "Finding the right balance in giving the players the right load is a big job, but I am quite sure we handled it together with the staff," added Rose.

• The new boss expects a "tough challenge" away at Enzo Maresca's Manchester City, but suggested "maybe it is time to win there" after the Cherries have failed to register a single win at the Etihad.

• On facing Maresca: "A clear philosophy, you know what you get. You know that they want to play. You see the processes they have, the approach they have. It is going to be a tough challenge, but we are quite positive."

• On replacing Andoni Iraola: "It was his [Andoni Iraola] decision to go. The club needed a new coach, so someone has to do the job, that's for sure. If he's not here anymore, there needs to be another one [coach] and that's me. I love to be here. It was a conscious decision because of the talks and the observing of the team that I did. I am here because the club thought that it was a good idea to bring a coach who has a similar approach to the former coach."

Listen to the Cherries' opening game of the season against Man City on BBC Radio 5 Live

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Bournemouth? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

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Bournemouth's president of business operations Jim Frevola has addressed criticism of the pink Vitality logo which is on the front of this season's kits.

Vitality sponsor the whole stadium and the Cherries' kit but the pink sponsor logo on the front of shirts has led to a backlash with more than 800 supporters signing "Ditch The Pink" petition, calling for the pink logo to be removed.

Frevola told BBC Radio Solent: "We're not immune to the noise on this topic and neither is Vitality. Their CEO is aware of it, their marketing team is aware of it, and all I can say is we've absolutely heard the feedback.

"We will take it on board. We've talked to Vitality about it. They've been super supportive of talking about future designs for future seasons and taking that feedback on board and integrating it in a way that I think people will be happy about in the future. I acknowledge that people have strong opinions about it.

"I think pink is an important colour to them [Vitality] and what we have to do is if we are going to integrate pink into a kit is make sure that it is more naturally integrated. We have heard the feedback and we're not immune to trying to make adjustments."

Frevola confirmed there will be no changes to the 2026-27 kits: "They are the kits for the season, we've ordered them, they're here and they are going to be in the shop.

"Vitality is one of the best partners we can have. Without that partnership we would be in violation of squad cost ratio. It's a really important partnership. I want to make sure we are delivering on results for Vitality.

"I've got a lot of folks that say they love the kit but Vitality have taken the feedback on board and we are already working on next year's design so supporters will be pleased for sure."

Listen to the full conversation below or listen on BBC Sounds

Last season: Sixth.

This season: 14th.

How will Bournemouth cope without Andoni Iraola? How will his successor Marco Rose settle? And how will they handle the extra burden of Europa League football?

These are the reasons I am predicting a Premier League drop-off for the Cherries - but would not be surprised to see this one defied.

The foot injury that rules Eli Junior Kroupi out for up to four months is a real blow, but there is plenty of talent elsewhere as Bournemouth stand firm against any advances for the outstanding Alex Scott.

New faces follow a familiar pattern with 22-year-old Portugal defender Antonio Silva arriving from Benfica, along with young forward Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche.

Juanlu Sanchez, a £11m signing from Sevilla, has Champions League experience and could prove yet another clever Cherries purchase.

• Read more of Phil's predictions

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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Teams in the bottom half of the Premier League in 2025-26 finished with more points than they had in years, meaning that judging them simply by their position in the table is perhaps a little harsh.

Everton may have been underwhelmed with their 13th-place finish but it was the most points a team in that position had finished with since the Toffees themselves in 1999-2000.

The points of the four places below them were all the highest they have been in the Premier League for 23 years and West Ham can consider themselves unlucky to have gone down with the highest points total for an 18th-placed side since 2010-11.

However, competition has come at a cost.

One place where the Premier League has become less competitive - because it has become more fiercely-contested overall - is at the very bottom.

While it is almost expected for one side to be cut adrift long before the end of the season, nowadays two sides are getting left behind.

The average points tally of the second-bottom side in a 38-game season is 31, meaning teams that finish there have usually competed in a relegation battle for most of the season before ultimately falling short.

After the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams in 1995-96, only two 19th-placed sides failed to reach 30 points in the first 21 seasons. But in the past decade, seven of the 10 sides to finish in that position have failed to do so.

In the past two seasons, promoted sides Ipswich and Burnley have both finished there with just 22 points - the fewest ever taken by a second-bottom side.

Relegation battles are now mostly a fight to see who takes the final spot in the bottom three, with the other two accounted for long before the final day - often by promoted sides.

But inspired by the survival of Sunderland and Leeds, promoted trio Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will all be hoping they have what it takes to match the competitiveness of the Premier League this season.

Read more on the Premier League's competitive numbers