Aston Villa made it a triumphant end to their sensational 2025/26 season on Sunday afternoon, coming from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1.
Just four days on from a history-making UEFA Europa League success in Istanbul, Ollie Watkins’ second-half brace saw the striker hit 21 goals in all competitions for the Villans, sealing a fourth-place finish in the Premier League table.
On what was an emotional day at the Etihad Stadium, as home boss Pep Guardiola bid farewell in his final game in charge of the hosts after a trophy-laden 10-year stint, the first half saw his side dominate, and take a one-goal lead into the break thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s 23rd-minute strike.
But a superb second-half showing from the Villans saw Watkins net his 20th and 21st goals of another impressive individual campaign, just two days after being named in England's World Cup squad, as the travelling Villa faithful basked in their glorious end to the term.
On a sunny, sweltering afternoon in Manchester, Emery made eight changes to the side which began Wednesday’s Europa League final success against SC Freiburg, with Watkins, Emi Buendía and Victor Linedlöf the only three players to keep their starting berths.
And, after the energy expended in Istanbul to get over the line, lift the trophy and deservedly celebrate, the Villans struggled to match their hosts’ pace and intensity throughout an opening period in which they were second best.
Guardiola’s side were straight on the offensive from the off, with Savinho lashing a shot wide and Tijjani Reijnders firing into the side netting, before captain Bernardo Silva – also making his Etihad farewell – was denied at the near post by Marco Bizot.
Midway through the first half, however, and the visiting resistance was broken. Andrés García, making his first start of the season, could only help a corner on at the near post, allowing Semenyo to sneak in and score.
Unai Emery Pep Guardiola
The remainder of the half was again all City, as the hosts looked to establish a healthy advantage to take into the interval on what they hoped would be a celebratory afternoon.
Just under half an hour was on the clock when Savinho rolled an effort wide after Villa had failed to clear their lines. Reijnders was another home player causing the Villans issues, and 11 minutes before the break, the Dutch midfielder hammered a long-range effort narrowly over from a free-kick.
With half-time approaching, Reijnders came even closer to doubling his side’s advantage. After Phil Foden had burst into the box and the ball had fallen for the former AC Milan man, he would find himself denied by a super stop from Bizot, who kept the score at 1-0 at the halfway stage.
Villa were on the front foot immediately as the second period got underway, and were back level within two minutes of the restart. Having come on as a half-time substitute, Matty Cash won a corner which Leon Bailey swung into the area.
Leon Bailey
Watkins missed his first header at the back post, but the ball ricocheted kindly off John Stones and back into his path, the striker making no mistake from close range to lash home his 20th of the season and celebrate in front of the jovial travelling supporters.
The Villans were very much on the front foot, and things could have got even better for them three minutes later. Bailey was found with a ball over the top and cut back onto his left foot inside the area, but curled high and wide when looking for the top corner.
But Watkins wasn’t done there, and just before the hour mark, he had the ball in the back of the net again. Barkley’s ball found him in behind and, bearing down on goal, the England international kept his composure to turn away from John Stones and find the bottom corner, only to be denied by the assistant’s offside flag.
As is custom, the decision was checked by VAR, which revealed Watkins had been played onside by City’s last defender. The goal stood, and Villa had turned the tie on its head, as their top goalscorer was held aloft in front of the away end by his teammates.
Ollie Watkins
City responded in search of an equalising goal, introducing the likes of Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki in their attempts to restore parity once again. And 11 minutes after his introduction, the Frenchman gave the Villans a warning of what he is capable of, fizzing a dangerous effort wide from distance.
But the second half belonged to the visitors and it was they, if anyone, who looked the more likely to find the game’s fourth goal, Bailey lashing against James Trafford’s near post 14 minutes from time after being found well by Buendía.
Captain John McGinn climbed off the bench to huge cheers from a now raucous away section at the Etihad, and had been on the pitch a matter of minutes when he forced Trafford into a smart stop with his clever effort from the edge of the box.
With the game about to tick into 10 minutes of stoppage time, Foden thought he had dragged the Cityzens level when crashing an effort home off the underside of Bizot’s crossbar, only for a VAR check to chalk the goal off for offside, much to the dismay of the home faithful.
And so, after Emery’s charges had successfully seen out the closing stages, the final whistle sounded to close out an successful week for Aston Villa, which drew the curtain on a simply unforgettable 2025/26 campaign.
Man City: Trafford, Lewis, Stones (Gvardiol 78'), Rúben Dias, Aké (Aït-Nouri 77'), González, Bernardo Silva (Kovacic 59'), Semenyo (Cherki 58'), Savinho, Foden, Reijnders (Doku 77')
Subs: Omar Marmoush, Kovacic, Cherki, Doku, Bettinelli, Aït-Nouri, Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, Alleyne
Aston Villa: Bizot, García (Cash 45'), Lindelöf (Torres 73'), Mings, Maatsen, Bogarde (Onana 73'), Douglas Luiz (Tielemans 73'), Bailey, Barkley (McGinn 86'), Buendía, Watkins
Subs: Cash, McGinn, Tielemans, Digne, Torres, Onana, Hemmings, Wright, Burrowes