---
title: "Maresca on victory, Guehi’s midfield gamble and the Bouaddi deal"
canonical: "https://readmancity.com/2026/08/24/man-city-maresca-bournemouth-reaction-guehi-bouaddi/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Gary Gowers"
section: "Man City News"
published: "2026-08-24T06:45:00Z"
modified: "2026-09-22T18:58:23Z"
---

# Maresca on victory, Guehi’s midfield gamble and the Bouaddi deal

**[City](https://readmancity.com/) won 2-1 against Bournemouth in Enzo Maresca’s first home league game in charge, having trailed as late as the 84th minute — City’s latest home turnaround since the title-winning 2011-12 season.**

Here’s what the head coach had to say afterwards.

## **On the performance**

Maresca felt City deserved the win well before it arrived. “I think it was actually a game we deserved to win early because we controlled the game and we created chances,” he said. “Before the goal we conceded we had three or four clear chances and we missed. We conceded and it became more complicated but overall I think it was a game we completely deserved to win.”

He also pointed to squad freshness as context for a nervy finish. Four or five players — Erling Haaland, Elliot Anderson, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly among them — only arrived within the last ten days. “For them it is still almost pre-season,” Maresca said.

## **On Marc Guehi in midfield**

The deployment of Guehi outside his usual defensive role was deliberate rather than make-shift. “Sometimes you visualise things. I know Marc from Palace and I always thought he could play as a midfielder because he is very good,” Maresca explained. “So we tried it for a few days and I think he was quite good.”

He extended the point to squad management more broadly: “This is what we need. We need the first XI starting in the right way and we need the other five changes going in the right way. Today the five changes I think they were very good.”

## **On the Bouaddi transfer**

Asked directly about City’s agreement with Lille for [Ayyoub Bouaddi](https://readmancity.com/2026/08/24/man-city-ayyoub-bouaddi-transfer-fee-contract/), Maresca kept it brief, saying it was a conversation for after the press conference: “I will speak now with the club after the press conference.”

While the deal has not been confirmed by the Club, it has, by all reports, been finalised.

## **On further signings**

With the window closing in eight days, Maresca left the door open. “We will see, it’s eight days to go,” he said. “For sure something is going to happen.”