Ilkay Gündogan returns to Etihad

Ilkay Gündogan was shown back at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in a social media post published on May 22, reviving a familiar image before a match the club has framed as Pep Guardiola’s final home game. The post, from football account BeyondPitches, linked to photos of Gündogan at the ground ahead of City’s Premier League meeting with Aston Villa. Manchester City said on Saturday that Sunday’s 16:00 UK kickoff against Villa will be the final home match for Guardiola, John Stones and Bernardo Silva. Gündogan’s appearance adds another layer to a fixture already loaded with club history, given his role in City’s 2021-22 title-clinching comeback against Villa. ### Why did Gündogan’s appearance at the Etihad draw attention? BeyondPitches published the post on May 22 and said Gündogan had returned to the Etihad ahead of what it described as Guardiola’s possible final home game. The post included photos tied to the stadium appearance. Ilkay Gündogan is one of the defining players of Guardiola’s City era. Manchester City said when he rejoined the club in August 2024 that he had made 304 appearances and scored 60 goals in his first spell, winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League and other domestic honors. ### What is the connection between Gündogan and Aston Villa? (mancity.com) Aston Villa was the opponent on the final day of the 2021-22 season when Gündogan came off the bench and scored twice in a 3-2 comeback that sealed the Premier League title for City. The Premier League, in a profile on his return to England, described that display as one of the moments that cemented his status as a club figure of lasting importance. (mancity.com) The Villa fixture has remained attached to Gündogan’s City legacy because it delivered one of the club’s most dramatic title wins under Guardiola. That history helps explain why photos of him at the Etihad before another City-Villa meeting drew notice online. ### Is this really Guardiola’s final home game? Manchester City said on May 23 that supporters will be able to take part in tribute activities for Guardiola, Stones and Silva after the Aston Villa match. (premierleague.com) The club said Sunday’s game “marks the final home match for City” for the three men after a decade at the club. The Premier League’s official site also lists Guardiola as leaving Manchester City in its final-day coverage. Manchester City’s own match preview says the Villa game is the club’s final Premier League clash of the 2025-26 season at the Etihad Stadium. ### When is the Aston Villa match and what happens next? Manchester City said the Aston Villa match is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at 16:00 UK time at the Etihad Stadium. (mancity.com) The club said tribute activities for Guardiola, Stones and Silva are planned after the final whistle. Gündogan’s presence at the stadium was posted one day before that send-off. (premierleague.com) The next confirmed step is Sunday’s home match against Villa, followed by the club’s post-match ceremony for Guardiola, Stones and Silva. (mancity.com 1) (mancity.com 2)