BOURNEMOUTH, England — Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth extinguished any remaining hope of overtaking Arsenal in the Premier League and handed Mikel Arteta’s side the title with a game to spare. The result removed the possibility of a winner-take-all final day at the Etihad and ended what might have been a dramatic send-off for Pep Guardiola.
A win at the Vitality Stadium would have kept City in the race and offered Guardiola a chance to add another trophy to his record. With the title decided, supporters can instead use Sunday’s home meeting with Aston Villa to honour Guardiola and departing veterans Bernardo Silva and John Stones. Andoni Iraola will leave Bournemouth after securing the club’s first-ever European qualification in its 127-year history.
Club management are understood to be resigned to losing Guardiola this summer, but the manager has declined to confirm his future. Guardiola, who is under contract until 2027 with a break clause this summer, said he must first speak with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak before making any announcement. He indicated those discussions will take place ahead of the Villa game.
If Guardiola does depart, he will hand over a squad that has claimed the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup this season and remained competitive in the title race until the final week. City have also kept alive the possibility of qualifying for the Champions League. Bournemouth’s draw continued an unbeaten run that stretches back to January and guarantees at least a top-seven finish and a place in next season’s Europa League.
On potential succession, Enzo Maresca is described as City’s leading candidate; the Italian previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant and has Premier League experience from a spell at Chelsea. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is identified as a primary target to replace Bernardo Silva, while Bournemouth’s Alex Scott drew praise for his performance on Tuesday and could be considered an option.
