Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins spoils Guardiola’s Manchester City leaving party

High emotion: Pep Guardiola was a picture of a man awed by adoration in a post-game sendoff to his era-defining decade piloting Manchester City.

As the manager stood before the tunnel, the 10 years were played out in a highlights reel on the stadium screen. What followed was a jog through a guard of honour as Valentí, his 95-year-old father, watched on, the official announcing of the new Pep Guardiola Stand, and an address to the crowd teeming love and admiration.

He said: “A minute of silence please. I’m so nervous. Terrified. Why do you love me so much?” When fans offered a rendition of “10 more years”, Guardiola asked: “Why do you do that to me? I never could imagine the amount of love. It’s been incredible, an honour to be your manager. My dad is here in the stands, 95. That [stand] is the huge honour I could receive from this club. My name represents my dad and mum.

“The players don’t know it but I will be there controlling them [from there]. In the next years, you all around the world, you will find me in the streets, and wherever you are as a City fan come and hug me. I will need it. I will say it: ‘It’s been fucking fun.’”

Cue blue fireworks going off and one last offering of the “We’ve Got Guardiola” song and he strode off – and will soon be on a beach somewhere, starting the next chapter of a remarkable life.

The 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa served, too, as a swansong for Bernardo Silva and John Stones. A comical moment came when the stadium announcer said: “Please welcome John Stones” – and they sent the captain’s pooch to walk the guard of honour: Silva’s dog is also called John Stones.

Guardiola said: “Bernardo was emotional today before the game. If you want to cry then cry, laugh then laugh. Emotions – you have to express them. I don’t cry, but when I see somebody else cry, then I cry.”

Watched by players and staff wearing City shirts with “10” and “Guardiola” on them, Silva offered a take on his nine years: “Pep’s the reason we won so much. He was at the wheel, making the decisions and creating this monster of a team - that was not only successful for one or two seasons, but for a very long time. That’s the most difficult thing. He never stopped creating new things, evolving, not allowing oppositions to adapt.

“And on a personal level, he’s my father in football. And I’m really grateful for everything he did for me. And I do believe he’s the greatest manager ever.”

He is certainly in the conversation. One reason may be Guardiola’s embracing of the culture, the Catalan living in town through his tenure.

“The people who live in the countryside are a different case; I live in the city,” Guardiola said. “We like to go to the restaurants and coffee places and cinemas. When I went to [Bayern] Munich and Mexico [to play at Dorados], I tried to understand where I go otherwise I would stay in Barcelona for ever.

Both sets of players briefly stop play to form a guard of honour for John Stones as he was substituted off in his final game for City. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

“You have to walk and feel the place. Don’t come here and judge, don’t compare. I said to the family: ‘If you don’t like, stay in Barcelona. Some things you like, some not but don’t judge.’”

A record 60,332 crowd, thanks to the extension in the Guardiola Stand arrived in blazing sunshine and temperatures of more than 25C and saw a crying Silva lead the team out. The victory those of a City stripe craved never arrived owing to Villa’s thirst for the same result illustrating why Unai Emery’s team are a force. Phil Foden had a late equaliser chalked off for offside.

For passages, those in light blue had Villa where they wanted them: hemmed in, having to repel constant attacks in the heat. The result: Antoine Semenyo’s opener from a corner. Lamare Bogarde flicked it on – mistakenly – and the Ghanaian hooked home at the far post.

In this 593rd game of Guardiola’s garlanded tenure he prowled the technical area, from where every player he has coached has received tutoring containing tactical advice and, when needed, choice invective. Seconds into the second half there was some of this as Stones inadvertently created Ollie Watkins’s equaliser.

Ollie Watkins is held aloft by his Aston Villa teammates after scoring the winning goal. Photograph: Gary Oakley/EPA

A Leon Bailey corner zipped in from the right was headed by Stones against Watkins’s rear and the striker swivelled and flashed in, then took the ball and lifted it up, to merriment, in a mime of Villa’s Europa League trophy hoist on Wednesday.

City were asleep, moving Guardiola to act: Mateo Kovacic and Rayan Cherki entered for Semenyo and Silva. This drew more tears from City’s No 20, a group hug from teammates, an ovation, and a guard of honour from both teams plus staff, in a heartfelt yet faintly over-the-top move. “No idea,” said Guardiola about why this occurred.

It left City 27 minutes to try to avert defeat, at least. They did not. But today was not about the result. Today was about Guardiola. “I gave it my all,” he said.