The Algerian winger replaces Jack Grealish in the front three as Guardiola elects to stick with much of the team that won comfortably against West Ham United on the opening day.
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That means Erling Haaland makes his home debut, retaining his place after his two-goal showing at the London Stadium.
Grealish is named on a bench that blends youth and experience, with Luke Mbete coming into the matchday squad after playing for the Elite Development Squad last weekend, but there is no place for the injured trio of Kalvin Phillips, Cole Palmer and Aymeric Laporte.
TEAMS
CITY: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), De Bruyne, Mahrez, Foden, Haaland.
SUBS: Ortega Moreno, Stones, Grealish, Alvarez, Bernardo, Delap, Mbete, Lewis, Wilson-Esbrand.
BOURNEMOUTH: Travers, Smith, Mepam, Kelly (C), Stacey, Cook, Pearson, Lerma, Tavernier, Christie, Moore.
SUBS: Neto, Marcondes, Lowe, Stanislas, Dembele, Hill, Senesi, Billing, Anthony.
Formation
With Guardiola only opting for one change, we can expect City to line-up in a similar shape to last weekend.
The back four will be exactly the same, with Walker and Cancelo in their usual full-back roles either side of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.
Rodrigo will sit deepest in midfield, behind the Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne, who were both typically influential in City’s attack against West Ham.
They’ll be tasked with providing the supply line to Haaland, who leads the line up front, with Foden expected to switch to the left flank and Mahrez slotting in on the right.
Match stats and facts
- City’s record of 10 victories from 10 top-flight matches against Bournemouth is the best 100%-winning ratio in Premier League history.
- The Cherries are winless in all 16 league meetings with Manchester City (D2, L14). That is the joint most that one side has faced another without winning in English league history, level with Halifax Town against Cardiff City, and Wrexham versus Crystal Palace.
- Bournemouth have led for a total of just eight minutes in those 16 league meetings, when Charlie Daniels briefly put them ahead in August 2017.
- We have only lost our opening home league game in one of the past 22 seasons, which was a 5-2 loss against Leicester in 2020/21.
- Our last four opening home league matches have produced 23 goals at an average of 5.8 per game.
- City have scored at least twice in each of our past 10 Premier League fixtures. We are responsible for four of the 13 occasions that a team has been on such a run.
- Guardiola has lost only three of his 73 Premier League matches in charge of City against English managers.
