Manchester City have a must-win game on Tuesday at Bournemouth followed by a must-win event on Wednesday at the Etihad
The top tier of the Etihad Stadium's North Stand has been closed to the public this season
The top tier of the Etihad Stadium's North Stand has been closed to the public this season(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Manchester City are one test event away from being able to open their new North Stand in time for the final Premier League match of the season. The Blues are rushing to finish enough work on the fresh space for an extra 7,000 seats in order to host more fans for the Villa game on Sunday.
The first step in doing that was a test event on Sunday, which was passed successfully. Attention now turns to Wednesday evening, when 3,500 supporters will be invited to sit in the new section in what counts as the second and final test event to show that everything that is ready needs to be.
Work will still need to be done in summer before the stand fully opens for the 2026/27 season; the hospitality areas, for example, will not be open until then. But City feel they can do enough over the next few days to get 7,000 more people in place for Sunday on what will be an eventful day.
There is a chance that the Premier League title could be won by Pep Guardiola's side on Sunday, but they will need to take at least two more points from their remaining fixtures with Bournemouth and Villa than Arsenal do against Burnley and Crystal Palace. Victory at Bournemouth on Tuesday night will take the race to the final day regardless of Arsenal's result against Burnley.
In addition, there will be the opportunity for Blues to say farewell to some City greats. Bernardo Silva and John Stones have already confirmed they will leave at the end of the season, while speculation remains around Guardiola despite him having another year left on his contract.
The club have also been working to find new homes for 500 fans who were told earlier in the season that their seats directly behind the goal in the North Stand were being turned into a hospitality area. Many of these supporters were frustrated for months at a lack of communication from the club, but have had positive experiences in recent weeks finding new homes with friends and family; a few of the 500 have decided not to renew, however.