Manchester City suffered a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in Pep Guardiola’ final match as manager on Sunday. The result ended an emotional day at the Etihad Stadium on a sour note despite tributes to the departing Catalan coach.
Antoine Semenyo gave Manchester City the lead in the 23rd minute. He turned in a corner from Tijjani Reijnders at the far post. The home side dominated early chances, but Villa defended well and waited for opportunities.
Ollie Watkins equalized for Aston Villa shortly after halftime. He struck in the 47th minute. Watkins then scored the winner in the 61st minute as he broke through and finished coolly. Villa secured their first win at the Etihad Stadium in over 20 years.
Manchester City organized special tributes before and after the game. Bernardo Silva and John Stones also played their final matches for the club. Both players received guards of honour and appeared emotional as fans and teammates paid tribute.
Pep Guardiola, who won 20 major trophies in 10 seasons at Manchester City, described the moment as special. Fans chanted his name long after the final whistle. A late Phil Foden effort was ruled out by VAR, but the focus remained on the farewells.
The defeat left Manchester City in second place behind Arsenal. Unai Emery’s Villa finished fourth after a strong campaign that also included Europa League success. The afternoon mixed celebration of past glory with the reality of a new chapter for the club.
