- Man City vs Aston Villa
- Sunday, May 24
- 16:00 BST
Manchester City host Aston Villa this weekend, and Pep Guardiola will be naming his starting lineup for the final time.
Aston Villa got the better of Man City earlier this season, and it is these kinds of results which have led to Guardiola’s team losing out on the Premier League title.
It was thought that City would still have something to play for, but this changed after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
As a result, Sunday’s scoreline will have no bearing on the club’s season. However, with Guardiola, John Stones and Bernardo Silva all leaving this summer, going out on a win would be desirable.
Form guide
Man City have looked fatigued over their past couple of matches. Antoine Semenyo secured a victory with his fine goal in the FA Cup final, but the Bournemouth game was disappointing.
Despite this, the Citizens have been exceptional at home, recently inflicting heavy defeats on Brentford and Crystal Palace respectively.
| Bournemouth 1-1 Man City |
| Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City |
| Man City 3-0 Crystal Palace |
| Man City 3-0 Brentford |
| Everton 3-3 Manchester City |
Ason Villa’s form has been less impressive, as they recently lost to Fulham and Tottenham. Additionally, their last away match was a 2-2 draw with Burnley, who have already been relegated from the Premier League.
Expected Manchester City lineup
Anticipating which players Guardiola will choose for this one is not easy. After all, he could make a number of changes due to the match not counting towards anything.
Alternatively, the manager might prioritise going out on a high, meaning he will choose his strongest available team.
Either one of these scenarios could happen, but we are going to go with the latter. This is a match Guardiola is going to try his best to win.
Predicted Man City lineup: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly, Rodri, Silva, Semenyo, Cherki, Haaland, Doku
Score prediction
Aston Villa have secured their place in the Champions League next season, which reduces the importance of this game.
On top of this, they played in Istanbul on Wednesday, and will have been celebrating their Europa League success in the days leading up to this fixture.
Tickets for our final home game against Aston Villa are now sold out! 🎟️
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 23, 2026
Ticket exchange closes 16:00 (UK) today. pic.twitter.com/MqSTYTqdkv
City will be backed by a record crowd at the Etihad Stadium, and considering the circumstances surrounding those departing, it is going to be noisy.
The Sky Blues are unlikely to blow their next opponent away, but Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo will each score to see off Unai Emery’s team.
Comments.
Loading comments…