Manchester City and Pep Guardiola bid farewell to one of the most iconic partnerships in modern football with the legendary manager bowing out with a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa.
Ollie Watkins scored twice as Villa came from behind to win on an emotional afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.
Antoine Semenyo had put City ahead with his 11th goal since his January move from Bournemouth but it was not enough.
"It has been an incredible, tremendous honour to be your manager for 10 years. Incredible emotions," Guardiola said after the match.
"It is an immense honour my family will have for the rest of my life. The players have a huge responsibility to continue these standards - hopefully they fight and fight and fight. This is my home.
"Every decision I took I thought was the best for this club. I love you so much. It has been fun."
Guardiola was expected to remain at City until next year but during the closing stages of the Premier League this season, it emerged that the 55-year-old was preparing to say goodbye to the Etihad Stadium.
Under Guardiola's decade-long management, City became one of the leading forces of not only English but European football.
In this period, City had an impressive haul of 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles – including four straight from 2020/21 to 2023/24 – along with three FA Cups, the 2023 Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup. At the top of the list is the 2022/23 Uefa Champions League triumph.
For now, Guardiola will work as a global ambassador and provide technical advice to clubs in the City Football Group.
“Don't ask me the reasons I'm leaving,” Guardiola had said while announcing his departure.
“There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it's my time. Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.
“This is a city built from work. From graft. You see it in the colour of the bricks. From people who clocked in early, stayed late. The factories. The Pankhursts. The unions. The music. Simply the Industrial Revolution and how this changed the world. And I think I grew to understand that, and my teams did, too.
“We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.”
The momentous day was marked by the opening of the Etihad Stadium's newly-expanded North Stand, renamed the 'Pep Guardiola Stand' in his honour.
With the stand fully open for the first time, City fans among the stadium-record 60,332 crowd chanted for “10 more years” after the game got under way.
City came close to securing a trophy treble in Guardiola's final season in charge but the draw at Bournemouth meant Arsenal clinched the title.
Guardiola signed off with domestic double after winning both the League Cup and the FA Cup.
Guardiola's former assistant Enzo Maresca, who was sacked as Chelsea manager in January, is the favourite to take over for the Spaniard.
There was more reason to celebrate on Sunday long-serving players Bernardo Silva and John Stones made their final appearances.
