Hello and welcome to our coverage of Manchester City’s final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa.
But it’s what happens away from the action that will be the centre of attention this afternoon with Pep Guardiola taking charge of the Blues for the final time. The boss confirmed his departure on Friday and the newly opened North Stand will be named after the Catalan to reflect his legacy.
Bernardo Silva and John Stones are also leaving this summer and both will take to the field for their final minutes for City.
It’s going to be an emotional occasion and we’ll have everything covered here in the blog so stay with us.
Antoine Semenyo's first start in senior football came in front of fewer than 400 people. One of his most recent saw him score a match-winning wonder goal in the FA Cup final in front of 84,000.
Few can lay claim to a football feel-good story quite like Semenyo's. The 26-year-old was rejected by a number of clubs several times as a youngster and stopped playing for a year at 15. Even when he did get back into the game it was through college football rather than the academy system.
That earned him a trial and then a contract at Bristol City at 18. The Robins then loaned him to Bath City in the National League South. His manager for his four-month spell was former Birmingham City and Cheltenham Town man Jerry Gill, who watched the Manchester City star light up a dreary cup final last week with a moment of magic having handed him his first start in men's football when naming him in the starting XI for a Somerset Premier Cup tie against Welton Rovers. The teenager responded with a hat-trick and went on to score six times in nine appearances for Bath.
Guardiola leaves Manchester City insisting that he trusts the club when they insist on their innocence from the Premier League charges they were accused of in 2023. The allegations are still outstanding as Guardiola makes his exit but the manager remains clear what he thinks.
As much as Guardiola has won fans over with his football - in terms of both style and success rate - he has also stood out as the biggest champion of the club for supporters in the face of serious accusations of cheating for nearly a decade. First when UEFA attempted to throw City out of the Champions League and then when the 115 charges from the Premier League hit, Guardiola has passionately and emphatically pushed the case for their innocence - at least until anything is proven.
The fact that Guardiola has staked his own personal reputation on his belief that City are innocent has helped Blues to be convinced, and the way the coach has used the allegations as extra motivation to win even more in this period has delighted them as much as when he said he would stay in charge in the lower leagues with some of the club's former players if necessary.
(Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
There will be a post-match presentation after City's game today for Guardiola, Stones and Silva.
Fans are being encouraged to remain in their seats for the farewell after the match.
Stones and Silva will come out individually to a guard of honour and will be interviewed on-pitch before being offered the chance to say a final farewell to the Etihad.
They will then join the guard of honour themselves before the arrival of Guardiola who will also be interviewed on the pitch and then address supporters.
Bernardo Silva, Pep Guardiola, John Stones
Bernardo Silva, Pep Guardiola, John Stones(Image: Getty Images)
Today will see the Blues line up in their 2026-27 home kit. The Puma kit was launched on Wednesday morning
The Puma designed kit has a gradient design that starts in sky blue at the shoulders before gradually lightening as it drops.
The crest is a 'metallic monochrome' design with the manufacturers hopeful the kit represents 'progression and modern' while simultaneously being 'unmistakeably City'. The kit is available to buy now at Fanatics with adult prices starting at £85 for short sleeves or £90 for long sleeves.
The new Man City 2026/27 home kit
The new Man City 2026/27 home kit
Guardiola takes charge of Manchester City for the final time this afternoon as the Blues welcome Aston Villa to the Etihad.
City's hopes of overhauling Arsenal in the Premier League title race were ended by the midweek draw at Bournemouth so the Blues are certain to finish in second spot. Guardiola confirmed his exit on Friday morning and gave an emotional press conference later that day ahead of his final fixture.
It will be an emotional Etihad as the Blues fans bid farewell to their greatest ever manager while long-serving stars John Stones and Bernardo Silva will also move on after the contest.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 16: Bernardo Silva of Manchester City celebrates with the Emirates FA Cup trophy in front of the fans after the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Manchester City on May 16, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 16: Bernardo Silva of Manchester City celebrates with the Emirates FA Cup trophy in front of the fans after the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Manchester City on May 16, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
The weather is certainly playing ball today. It’s a scorcher of a Bank Holiday weekend and an expanded Etihad crowd will be in attendance with 7,000 extra fans in the North Stand to witness the game and the finale for the manager and two modern day legends.
Hope we’ve all got the suncream on!
It’s hard to comprehend that Guardiola won’t be in the dugout next season when City kick off the new campaign.
It’s been a stunning decade under the Catalan coach and neither he nor City imagined it lasting as long as it has.
There’s been trophies galore and history has been written. The Treble campaign was sensational, the Champions League final win over Inter perhaps the crowning moment.
Winning four top flight titles in a row, it had never done before and might never be done again. The incredible domination of the Carabao Cup, the phenomenal consistency in the FA Cup, and of course the players, moments and magic we’ve had the privilege to witness. What a decade.
File photo dated 10/06/2023 of Pep Guardiola celebrating with the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League trophy. Manchester City are not commenting on a fresh report that manager Pep Guardiola is to stand down at the end of the season. Issue date: Sunday May 24, 2026.
(Image: © 2026 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)
Here we are then. For one last time this season and one last time under Pep Guardiola.
City welcome Aston Villa to the Etihad for the Premier League finale this afternoon but let’s be honest the focus isn’t going to be centred too much on the action on the pitch.
The Blues are guaranteed to finish second and Villa have already secured Champions League football for next season and won the Europa League in midweek.
The focus will instead be on the departing Guardiola as well as John Stones and Bernardo Silva who will also be leaving the club this summer.
(Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)