Manchester City stars poke fun at difficult 2024/25 season in club Halloween party | OneFootball

The latest Halloween party commissioned by Manchester City’s stars focussed in on the club’s hugely difficult 2024/25 campaign.

City players are known for going all-out when it comes to dressing up and hosting themed parties, but this year’s Halloween celebration came with a sharp comedic edge in comparison to recent years.

Rather than simply leaning into traditional horror tropes, the squad embraced a theme that playfully acknowledged last season’s struggles and the first major trophy-less campaign of Pep Guardiola’s remarkable tenure since the Catalan’s 2016/17 debut season.

With spirits high following a stronger start to the campaign and optimism returning, the group opted to face the past year with humour. The mood among players and their families suggested a collective willingness to move on.

It also reflected unity inside the dressing room, with the squad turning to a light-hearted narrative that fans themselves referenced throughout the summer, turning frustration into fuel, while the event underlined how the squad’s mentality remains strong under Guardiola.

As revealed in photos released across various players’ Instagram channels and those of their partners and friends, Pep Guardiola’s first-team staged a tongue-in-cheek Halloween party titled, ‘I Know What You Did Last Season’.

Those in attendance were greeted by a cinema-style entrance, red curtains, and a sign announcing the feature presentation. Among the decor within the party were stacks of vintage TV sets and walls plastered with ‘Wanted’ posters for the club’s stars including Pep Guardiola.

Elsewhere within the venue, walls also featured posters from horror classics such as Scream and The Crow, while Manchester City’s club crest was shown off in a blood-red design dripping down the wall.

City’s party was as a nod towards the hugely challenging season they endured prior to the ongoing campaign, as Guardiola’s stars finished third in the Premier League table and failing to win a major trophy for the first time since the Catalan’s debut 2026/17 schedule.

As for the guests and their costumes, Erling Haaland dressed up as the Joker, alongside John Stones and Tijjani Reijnders who arrived in identical costumes, while Maya Jama was among the celebrity guests alongside her partner, Ruben Dias.

The pair took on a Pirates of the Caribbean theme, with the Portuguese international defender boasting a slick Jack Sparrow look, while Jama appeared to be acting as Kiera Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann.

With the party’s playful messaging out in the open, attention quickly turned back on to the pitch after last week’s antics, as Manchester City cruised to a 3-1 home win over Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

City have already shown various signs that last season’s dip was temporary, with key players returning from injury and the squad appearing refreshed both mentally and physically, with Erling Haaland firing on a different scale this time around.

Fans will hope that this mix of humour and humility is a small symbol of bigger things to come, as Pep Guardiola’s side look to reassert domestic dominance and compete deep into Europe once again.