Player Ratings: Donnarumma, Gvardiol, and Rayan Cherki Shine
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6
Left exposed for Bournemouth’s opener and had no chance with the finish, but kept his side alive with a sharp low stop from Justin Kluivert and an instinctive save to claw away Daniel Jebbison’s flicked header.
Rico Lewis – 5
Stepped inside from right-back to bolster midfield and even tested the keeper early on, yet his influence quickly tailed off. Lacked precision in the final third and was withdrawn before he could make a real mark.
Abdukodir Khusanov – 5
Got it wrong in the duel with Rayan in the build-up to Bournemouth’s first goal and never recovered his position. That early lapse coloured an otherwise modest display.
Ruben Dias – 5
The new captain misjudged the long ball that sparked Bournemouth’s opener, failing to deal with the danger over the top. A shaky moment on a day when authority at the back was needed.
Josko Gvardiol – 7
Caught in no man’s land for Bournemouth’s goal, leaving space that was ruthlessly punished. Then came redemption. Deep into stoppage time he arrived with ice-cold composure to sweep home the winner and flip the narrative.
Marc Guehi – 6
Deployed out of his comfort zone as a holding midfielder, the England defender grew into the role and capped it with a late equaliser. With Ayyoub Bouaddi set to arrive, this intriguing experiment may prove a one-off.
Elliot Anderson – 6
The club-record signing covered huge distances and repeatedly shut down Bournemouth breaks. Flashes of what he can bring, even if the attacking spark is still to come.
Antoine Semenyo – 5
Lively and dangerous in pre-season, but that form didn’t translate here. Worked hard, yet never truly stamped his authority on the contest.
Nico O’Reilly – 5
Given the keys to the No 10 role but created little of note. Struggled to unlock Bournemouth’s defence and made way on the hour as the search for a creative spark intensified.
Phil Foden – 5
At the heart of things early on, demanding the ball and producing a delightful flick to tee up Lewis. Then the influence drained away and the game seemed to pass him by before his late substitution.
Erling Haaland – 5
New haircut, old chances – but not the old finishing. Somehow failed to convert from a couple of yards in the first half, then lashed one over and scuffed another wide after the break. The volume of opportunities was familiar; the ruthless edge was not.
Subs
Matheus Nunes (on 56, Lewis) – 5
Slotted into midfield without ever seizing control. Neat enough, but nothing to change the rhythm of the game.
Rayan Cherki (on 62, O’Reilly) – 8
The substitute who tore up the script. Injected imagination and urgency, laid on two assists and turned a flat performance into a rescue act. On this evidence, he has a serious case to start at Crystal Palace on Friday.
Mateo Kovacic (on 62, Anderson) – 5
Offered experience and calm but little penetration. The question lingers: should he have been in midfield from the first whistle instead of Guehi?
Jack Grealish (on 82, Foden) – 5
Introduced late and saw too little of the ball to influence the outcome. A quiet cameo on a chaotic afternoon.
