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“Pep Guardiola!”: the two magical words for all of a Manchester City stripe came from the Etihad Stadium announcer ahead of the great man’s entrance in light-tan slacks and white T-shirt, a ‘P’ for Pep emblazoned across the left breast pocket.
The reception was rapturous. Poignant too. From a record 60,332 crowd due to the opening of the extension to the newly named The Pep Guardiola Stand.
They came in the blazing sunshine and temperatures over 25C to experience three sad and fond farewells – to John Stones, Bernardo Silva and a genius, Guardiola.
Before the contest tifos of the trio appeared, Guardiola’s having three sobriquets: “game changer”, “history maker,” and “City forever”.
Apt from a 55-year-old who said: “Now is the time, I’m pretty sure. Once we announced I thought, maybe I was wrong. The past has been really good with us, but the future will be better without me. You have to have a special energy.”
Silva, crying, led the team out for a season finale Guardiola hoped would end in a victory that never arrived due to Aston Villa’s thirst for the same result – Phil Foden’s late strike chalked out for offside – illustrating why Unai Emery’s team are a force.
They showed, too, how they became Europa League champions last week when Douglas Luiz, Tyrone Mings, and Ian Maatsen sliced through City’s press.
Ross Barkley’s run, too, impressed and caused Guardiola to slump in his seat. Yet for passage, those in light-blue had Villa where they like them: hemmed in, having to repel constant attacks in the heat.
The result: Antoine Semenyo’s opener, after 23 minutes, from a corner from the left. Lamare Bogarde flicked this on – mistakenly – and the Ghanian hooked home from the far post.
Home merriment and a drinks break followed. So, too, more City pressure, Savinho and Tijjani Reijnders flashing at goal.
In this 593rd game of his Manchester City tenure, Guardiola yet again prowled the technical area, the zone from where the 85 players of his decade in charge have received in-match tutoring containing tactical advice and, when needed, choice invective.
Seconds into the second half and there was some of this as Stones’s inadvertently created Ollie Watkin’s equaliser.
A zipped-in Leon Bailey corner from the right was headed by the No 5 against the No 11’s rear and he swivelled and flashed in, then took the ball and lifted it up in a mime of Wednesday’s trophy hoist.
Next, Bailey swooped across the host’s area but sprayed wide. City were asleep, moving Guardiola to act: Mateo Kovacic and Rayan Cherki entered for Semenyo and Silva.
This drew more Silva tears, a group hug from teammates, an ovation, and a guard of honour – from both teams plus staff, in a heartfelt yet faintly over-the-top move.
At the end came a hug from Silva to Guardiola who, too, broke down and there may have been internal ones following what occurred next, as City went 2-1 behind.
Watkins broke through the offside trap and after slick feet engineered space, he drove home. The celebration was even more mirthful this time because the England man was lifted aloft by several colleagues as if he was the trophy.
It left City 27 minutes of regulation time to try and avert defeat, at least. The problem was Villa enjoyed the type of keep-ball style Guardiola adores, and City were unable to execute.
So, off came Reijnders for Doku, Rayan Aït-Nouri for Aké, and Josko Gvardiol for Stones, who received his own guard-of-honour. Guardiola did not break down (visibly) but the defender did, burying his head in a towel when seated.
Now came Foden’s “goal”. After Andrew Madley was instructed by the video assistant referee to disallow this, howls ensued because the image used seemed to show the forward as onside, in fact.
The bottom line was this: at the final whistle Guardiola ended as the one thing he certifiably is not – a loser. This did not matter, of course. Today was about Silva, in his 460th game for City, Stones in a 295th, and their manager who is a class act.
