Manchester City's opening Premier League fixture of the season ended in dramatic fashion, as Enzo Maresca's side came from behind to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Maresca, already under pressure after a Community Shield humbling at the hands of Arsenal before a competitive ball had been kicked, needed something to go his way — and it eventually did, though not without considerable stress.

Tavernier stuns the Etihad

Marcus Tavernier gave Bournemouth the lead in the 26th minute with a brilliant opener, and the visitors — playing with the same energy and intelligence that defined their years under Andoni Iraola — looked capable of holding on. New Bournemouth manager Marco Rose came agonisingly close to marking his own Premier League debut with a famous away victory.

City, meanwhile, were disjointed and wasteful. Erling Haaland worked tirelessly, creating five attempts without finding the net, while the team as a whole appeared hampered by an unbalanced system with several players operating out of position.

Late goals seal the comeback

The turnaround arrived in the closing stages. Marc Guehi pulled City level in the 84th minute, and Josko Gvardiol completed the comeback in the 91st minute — though the latter's goal required VAR intervention after the on-field officials had initially flagged it offside.

The two goals came within seven minutes of each other, transforming what had looked like an opening-day defeat into a vital three points.

City's winning goal came at the latest stage they have overturned a deficit in a Premier League home game since the final day of their title-winning 2011-12 campaign — a statistic that will offer Maresca some comfort, even if the performance raised more questions than it answered.