Player Ratings: Donnarumma, Gvardiol, and Rayan Cherki Stand Out

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6 No chance with Bournemouth’s opener, then kept his side alive with a sharp low stop from Justin Kluivert and an instinctive save to beat away Daniel Jebbison’s glancing header. Reliable when the game opened up.

Rico Lewis – 5 Stepped inside from right-back to form an extra midfielder and almost marked it with an early goal, denied by a smart save. After that his touch deserted him too often and his influence faded before he was withdrawn.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 5 Got his angles wrong in the duel with Rayan in the build-up to the first goal and never recovered his position. That moment set the tone for an uneasy afternoon.

Ruben Dias – 5 The new captain misjudged the long ball that led to Bournemouth’s breakthrough, failing to get anything on it. Organised those around him better as the game went on, but that early lapse lingered.

Josko Gvardiol – 7 Caught in no-man’s land for Bournemouth’s goal, neither tight to his man nor covering the space. Then, when it mattered most, arrived in the box to sweep home a composed injury-time winner. From invisible to decisive.

Marc Guehi – 6 Deployed out of his comfort zone as a holding midfielder and took time to find his bearings. Grew into the role and capped it with a late equaliser, though with Ayyoub Bouaddi on the way this may be a one-off experiment.

Elliot Anderson – 6 The club-record signing covered huge distances, knitting play together and repeatedly shutting down counters. Flashes of what he can offer, even if the final ball was missing.

Antoine Semenyo – 5 Lively in pre-season but never really caught fire here. Worked hard off the ball without ever truly troubling Bournemouth’s back line.

Nico O’Reilly – 5 Given the keys in the No 10 role but created little of real substance. A few neat touches, not enough incision, and made way on the hour.

Phil Foden – 5 At the heart of things early, demanding the ball and producing a gorgeous flick to set up Lewis. As the tempo dropped, so did his impact, and he drifted out of the contest before being replaced.

Erling Haaland – 5 New haircut, same spotlight. Somehow failed to convert from point-blank range in the first half, then lashed over and dragged another effort wide after the break. A strangely wasteful display that will fuel questions about whether the chopped locks have cut into his aura.

Subs

Matheus Nunes (on 56, Lewis) – 5 Slotted into midfield without leaving a real mark on the game. Kept things ticking, nothing more.

Rayan Cherki (on 62, O’Reilly) – 8 The game changed the moment he stepped on. Demanded the ball, drove at defenders and delivered two assists to flip the result. On this evidence, he will expect to start at Crystal Palace on Friday.

Mateo Kovacic (on 62, Anderson) – 5 Brought control but little penetration. The lingering question: should he have been in midfield from the first whistle instead of Guehi?

Jack Grealish (on 82, Foden) – 5 Introduced late on, saw plenty of the ball in wide areas but had limited time to truly bend the game to his will.