Pep Guardiola prepares to take his bow at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City welcome a celebrating Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season, Sunday, 24 May 2026.

Match details

The game kicks off at 4:00pm BST (11:00am ET) at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. In the UK, Sky Sports Action carries the live broadcast. US viewers can stream the match on Peacock Premium, with plans starting from $10.99 a month. Australian fans can catch it through Stan Sport, which costs $20 as an add-on to a base Stan plan starting at $12.

In the United States, NBCSN is also broadcasting the fixture via YouTube TV, which is currently offering a 10-day free trial — making it a free option for those who have not yet used the service.

Villa's hangover meets City's farewell

Aston Villa arrived at this fixture still deep in celebration mode. Manager Unai Emery's side paraded their first major trophy in 30 years through Birmingham's Centenary Square on Thursday, less than a day after winning it. Reports from the open-top bus suggested at least one Villa player was not in a condition to give a post-match interview, and he was far from alone.

With silverware secured and a Champions League place already confirmed, the incentive for Villa to strain every sinew at the Etihad is limited. Nine days earlier they defeated Liverpool in a result that lit up the end of the season, but this occasion carries a different energy entirely.

For Arsenal, Villa's relaxed state is irrelevant — the title race had already been decided the night before Villa lifted their trophy.

Guardiola's final chapter

While Villa celebrate, Manchester City carry a bittersweet tone into the afternoon. Guardiola, who has accumulated 15 major trophies during his decade in charge at the Etihad, takes charge of his last Premier League match as City manager. The two domestic cup competitions remain his final trophies on English soil after City missed out on the league title.

City's supporters will send the Catalan off with the conviction that he transformed their club into one of the most dominant forces in European football. Missing the title in his final season will sting, but it does little to diminish the scale of what he has built.

Head-to-head context

The reverse fixture, played at the end of October, ended in a 1-0 Villa victory — Matty Cash scoring the only goal as Villa hit a strong run of form. Villa have won their last three home league games against City, yet they have lost their last 15 Premier League visits to the Etihad Stadium. Even on a sentimental afternoon, that away record looks difficult to overturn.