Key events
“Riddle corner,” begins Peter Oh. “What is the most popular summer fruit among Arsenal fans? Cherries!”
There’s got to be a Müller Corner gag in there somewhere.
City line up Maresca as Guardiola replacement
Pep Guardiola has informed Manchester City’s players that he will leave the club after Sunday’s final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa.
The manager felt obliged to update his squad after news of his departure broke on Monday night, taking him by surprise while he was preparing for Tuesday’s match at Bournemouth.
Guardiola had hoped to keep his decision to leave City private for longer, so as not to provide a distraction. City need to beat Bournemouth to take the title race to the last day after Arsenal moved five points clear by defeating Burnley.
Guardiola is leaving after 10 years with a season remaining on his contract and City have identified Enzo Maresca as his replacement. Chelsea are in line for sizeable compensation for Maresca from City after the Italian’s acrimonious departure from Chelsea on New Year’s Day.
Preamble
Well that escalated quickly. This time yesterday, Pep Guardiola’s departure from Manchester City was but a tentative rumour. Now it is common knowledge, even if has yet to be officially confirmed. That should happen tonight when Guardola speaks either before or after City’s vital game at Bourbnemouth.
There’s still a chance Guardiola could leave English football with another treble on his CV. But if City are to take the title race to the last day, and test Arsenal’s nerve to the full, they need to overcome a Bournemouth side who are unbeaten in 16 Premier League games.
Bournemouth are also saying goodbye to arguably their greatest ever manager. Tonight is Andoni Iraola’s final home game, a chance to say goodbye in style: if Bournemouth get a point, they will qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
Kick-off 7.30pm BST.