Manchester City to break Etihad Stadium attendance record in Aston Villa finale | OneFootball

The Etihad Stadium will see its largest ever football capacity as Manchester City welcome Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday.

City’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on the south coast in midweek saw Arsenal being crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 seasons.

Despite suffering a disappointing end to a valiant title race effort, Pep Guardiola and co won the impressive Carabao Cup and FA Cup double in their first full season under director of football Hugo Viana.

WIth Guardiola expected to leave City after Sunday’s Premier League fixture, the visit from Aston Villa will give the Blues a chance to bid farewell to their legendary manager – as well as departing stars Bernardo Silva and John Stones.

North Stand passes operational checks ahead of Villa

As confirmed by Manchester City this week, the expanded section of the Etihad Stadium’s North Stand has ‘passed all operational checks’ following a successful test event on Wednesday night.

As such, the club confirm that the stadium’s new general admission areas of the expansion can be trialled at full capacity for Sunday’s final Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa.

City are understood to have put plans in place for a fitting send-off for Silva and Stones, two of Guardiola’s best signings at the Etihad Stadium who are leaving this summer as free agents.

With the title race done and dusted, Guardiola is expected to start Stones on his final appearance in a Manchester City shirt against Unai Emery‘s newly crowned UEFA Europa League winning side.

What does Man City vs Aston Villa signify for the hosts?

It has been an emotional few months behind the scenes at the Etihad Stadium as City prepare for a changing of the guard. Silva and Stones represent the best of Guardiola’s tenure at the club so the pair are leaving big shoes to fill.

Manchester City are expected to confirm the appointment of Enzo Maresca in the near future, with Guardiola deciding against seeing out the final year of his contract and departing after an illustrious, trophy-laden decade at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola will almost certaintly shuffle his pack and give fringe players a chance against Villa, who will be buoyed by their successful Istanbul trip in midweek and could well play a second string line-up themselves.