The reason why Haaland didn’t play Guardiola’s last Man City game

FootballSports
24 May 2026 • 11:14 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

The reason why Haaland didn’t play Guardiola’s last Man City game

  • Pep Guardiola has made nine changes to his Manchester City squad for his final game in charge, marking his departure after 10 years at the club.
  • Star striker Erling Haaland has been given the day off and is absent from the squad, having had a long season and being on course to win the Premier League Golden Boot.
  • Guardiola has opted to start long-serving players such as Bernardo Silva and John Stones, alongside Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Phil Foden, for his emotional farewell match.
  • Antoine Semenyo and captain Silva are the only players retained from the previous match against Bournemouth, which saw Arsenal secure the league title.
  • Manchester City's opponents, Aston Villa, who recently won the Europa League, have also made several changes to their line-up for the fixture.

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