It was an emotional night at Manchester's Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. In their rescheduled Premier League match, Pep Guardiola's Citizens defeated Bournemouth 3-1 to reclaim third place in the table, ahead of Newcastle. A point at Fulham on Sunday in the final match of the season could be enough for City to qualify for the Champions League.
The Sky Blues didn't waver in their last home outing. Omar Marmoush opened the scoring (14th minute), followed by Bernardo Silva (38th minute, 2-0) and Nico González (89th minute, 3-0). Bournemouth reduced the deficit thanks to Jebbison (96th minute), for pride. Both teams finished with ten men, after the sending-offs of Matteo Kovacic (67th minute) and Lewis Cook (73rd minute).
The strong image
But the highlight of the evening came in the 83rd minute: the return of the king. Rodri , the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and midfield stalwart, stepped back onto the Etihad pitch eight months after his knee injury. He received a huge ovation as he replaced Erling Haaland.
The emotion of the Belgian
And as if that weren't enough, it was also Kevin De Bruyne 's final home appearance in a City shirt. The last hurrah for a legend. Given a fitting send-off, the Belgian playmaker received a heartfelt tribute from the crowd, their eyes visibly moist but their hearts light after so many years of loyalty, magic, and trophies. He left after the match, with his family, amidst a guard of honor.
With this victory, Manchester City climbs to third place in the standings and can therefore dream of a solid end to the season. Without it, it would have been a disaster.
🚨 RODRI RETURNS TO THE FIELD! 🤩
- CANAL + Foot (@CanalplusFoot) May 20, 2025
The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner had not played since September 22 after a cruciate ligament rupture 🤕#MCIBOU | #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/L7c92Azsdy
