Man City 1-2 Aston Villa: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Pep Guardiola bids emotional farewell after final-day defeat

Pep Guardiola’s legendary 10-year career as Manchester City manager has concluded with a 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Citizens moved past their Premier League title heartbreak in a flash, channeling all their energy into giving their most decorated manager a special send-off in his historic 593rd match.

Just over a week after scoring the decisive goal in City’s FA Cup final triumph at Wembley, Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring inside the opening 22 minutes – his 11th goal for the club since joining in January.

A much-changed Citizens lineup dominated this dead-rubber fixture against an equally amended Villa side, who rarely posed a threat in a subdued first-half performance, as their supporters basked in the glory of their midweek Europa League final victory.

However, less than two minutes after the restart, Ollie Watkins restored parity for the visitors, poking home a close-range finish after Man City failed to clear their lines from a corner.

Shortly after Bernardo Silva was given a guard of honour as he left the pitch for the final time as a Man City player, Watkins stunned the Etihad by netting his 17th Premier League goal of the season to put Villa in front on the hour mark. John Stones deservedly received the same touching tribute as Bernardo as he exited the field in the closing stages.

A cacophony of boos rang out at the Etihad when a powerful 89th-minute strike from Phil Foden was controversially ruled out by VAR for offside, and Villa held on to claim a surprise win, ending a 15-game losing streak in the league on the blue side of Manchester.

While Man City were guaranteed to finish second behind champions Arsenal regardless of the result, the win for Aston Villa means they remain fourth in the table, finishing five points clear of Liverpool in fifth.

Unai Emery’s side finishing fourth is significant in the Premier League, because it means that a Champions League ticket will not pass down to Bournemouth in sixth place, forcing them to enter next season’s Europa League instead.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

The 2025-26 season is over, and with it, Pep Guardiola’s glorious, trophy-laden decade at Man City has come to an end. There was to be no final victory lap for the Catalan, however, as Aston Villa gatecrashed City’s party with an improved second-half display, denying his Citizens side a parting win amidst a bittersweet Etihad atmosphere.

Nevertheless, it was an afternoon of pure celebration. The Etihad paid tribute to departing icons Bernardo Silva and John Stones, while offering a final, roaring ovation to arguably the greatest Premier League manager of all time, who has overtaken Les McDowall as the longest-serving coach in the club’s history (593 games).

Guardiola departs Man City having won 20 trophies in total, including six Premier League titles, a record five EFL Cups, three FA Cups and one Champions League. The Citizens became Centurions, Formidables, treble winners and celebrated an unprecedented four consecutive English top-flight title triumphs under the Catalan mastermind, who has had a transformative impact on English football and has inspired change like no other manager in the modern era.

Across the last 10 years, and also prior to that with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Guardiola’s teams have won in style. The 55-year-old has normalised the absurd with his bold tactical creations that have delivered success on a regular basis. His influence on football has brushed off on several elite managers, while his footballing philosophy has permeated down the English football pyramid – this in itself showcases just how truly revolutionary his legacy has become.

Guardiola was unable to win the PL title in his final season, but Man City can still take a plethora of positives from the 2025-26 campaign, most notably winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup – a domestic cup double achieved by only seven teams in history. In addition, the development of Nico O’Reilly, the Premier League Young Player of the Season, the emergence of Matheus Nunes at right-back and Rayan Cherki’s impact in his debut season are also notable positives to take away from this transition season.

With multiple reports heavily linking Enzo Maresca to the Man City hot seat, the former Chelsea boss appears destined for the monumental task of filling the chasm left behind by Guardiola, as well as maintaining the club’s incredibly high standards and winning mentality instilled by City’s departing icon.

Aston Villa are another ambitious club who can hold their heads up high after ending their 44-year wait for a European trophy, as well as securing Champions League football for the second time in three seasons courtesy of a top-four finish.

After a few years in the Championship were followed by mid-table mediocrity, Villa have since established themselves as one of the Premier League’s strongest clubs since the arrival of Emery, and it will be intriguing to see whether they can build on a successful 2025-26 campaign, as well as keep hold of star players including Morgan Rogers.

MAN CITY VS. ASTON VILLA HIGHLIGHTS

Antoine Semenyo goal vs. Aston Villa (22nd min, Man City 1-0 Aston Villa)

Antoine Semenyo opens the scoring for Manchester City! ? pic.twitter.com/iYVyATvkeL
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 24, 2026

Semenyo opens the scoring!

Tijjani Reijnders’s whipped-in corner is inadvertently flicked on by the head of Andreas Garcia and the ball falls to Semenyo, who cushions a side-footed shot into the far corner – his 11th goal since joining the Citizens in January.

Ollie Watkins goal vs. Man City (47th min, Man City 1-1 Aston Villa)

Ollie Watkins levels for Aston Villa after the break... and how about that celebration! ? pic.twitter.com/WAs0GUoRgG
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 24, 2026

Watkins restores parity for Villa!

An Aston Villa corner is swung into the danger zone and Man City are unable to deal with it. Watkins is the first player to react, prodding the loose ball into the bottom corner from a few yards out.

Ollie Watkins goal vs. Man City (62nd min, Man City 1-2 Aston Villa)

A perfectly-timed run from Ollie Watkins to give Aston Villa the lead at the Etihad! ? pic.twitter.com/aS07dO9DvG
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 24, 2026

Watkins at the double!

Not long after both sets of players gave Bernardo Silva a guard of honour as he departed the pitch, Watkins is played through down the right channel, and after skipping past a sliding challenge from Stones, the striker slots home a composed finish into the bottom corner.

89th min: Phil Foden goal ruled out for offside!

After receiving a smart through-ball into the penalty area from Mateo Kovacic, Foden turns and smashes a left-footed strike in off the crossbar. However, VAR intervenes and the equaliser is disallowed for the tightest off offside, with images appearing to show that Foden's backside was milimetres in front of the Villa defender.

MAN OF THE MATCH - OLLIE WATKINS

One of only three players to retain their starting spot from Villa’s Europa League final win, Watkins produced a game-chasing second-half performance to inspire Emery’s side to a surprise comeback.

Watkins looked sharp all afternoon, a huge positive for Thomas Tuchel ahead of England’s World Cup campaign, and he followed up his well-timed equaliser with a coolly-composed second to seal all three points for Villa at the Etihad for the first time since April 2007.

MAN CITY VS. ASTON VILLA MATCH STATS

Possession: Man City 51%-49% Aston Villa

Shots: Man City 16-10 Aston Villa

Shots on target: Man City 3-5 Aston Villa

Corners: Man City 9-4 Aston Villa

Fouls: Man City 6-4 Aston Villa

BEST STATS

8+ - Manchester City (9) vs Aston Villa (8) is the first game in Premier League history to see both teams make at least eight changes to their starting lineup from their previous game in the same season. Beach. pic.twitter.com/KMESxPmOkG
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 24, 2026

The first manager to win the treble with two different men’s sides.

The first manager in men's football history to complete the Treble AND the domestic treble in England.

The first manager to attain 100 points in a Premier League season.

The first manager to win the Premier… pic.twitter.com/0cRgUKutrR
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 24, 2026

WHAT NEXT?

Several players from Man City and Aston Villa will now turn their attention to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which kicks off on June 11 and concludes with the final on July 19.

A brief break from international duty will then be followed by pre-season ahead of the new 2026-27 Premier League campaign, which is scheduled to begin on August 22.