Having waved goodbye to any slim chance of beating Arsenal to the Premier League title on Tuesday, Manchester City finished the week by bidding an emotional farewell to manager Pep Guardiola, who signed off his 10-year stint with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.You would be forgiven for expecting a slightly subdued mood at the Etihad given City had lost the title race and their once-in-a-generation leader all in the space of a few days. But Guardiola was not leaving without the send-off he deserved.
Manchester, a city the Spaniard loves and respects for its grafting roots, would not let him.
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An emotional Pep Guardiola in the Man City dugout for the final time
The Etihad was heartened by the presence of Guardiola on the touchline for one final time. He indulged in the festivities with plenty of smiles and waves, and even tears, albeit he chose not to celebrate Antoine Semenyo’s opener in the 23rd minute, scored from a scrappy set-play.Hardly vintage Pep-ball.
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Antoine Semenyo steers home Man City’s opener against Villa
But the second half offered more by way of class and quality, predominantly from spoilers Villa. After looking uninterested before the interval, Unai Emery’s Europa League winners sparked into life to score twice in 14 minutes and turn the game on its head.
Ollie Watkins netted both, the second a particularly impressive feat of skill and composure, rounding off a superb week for the World Cup-bound striker, who took his Premier League goal tally to 16.
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Ollie Watkins scores to put Aston Villa in front at the Etihad
Pep’s parade might have been muted, with the ‘oles’ coming from the away end rather than the home crowd, but the locals got what they came to see, the scoreline almost immaterial.The afternoon included touching tributes to club legends Bernardo Silva and John Stones on their final appearances for the club. In truth, such poignancy rather overtook the…
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2026-05-24 18:15:00
