Wayne Rooney said he was really upset after the same thing happened twice in Man City’s loss to Aston Villa.
Wayne Rooney wasn’t too happy about Manchester City giving stars Bernardo Silva and John Stones a Guard of Honour during their last game of the season, which they lost to Aston Villa.
It was a special day at the Etihad Stadium, as City said goodbye to club heroes Bernardo, Stones, and legendary manager Pep Guardiola. Since there wasn’t much riding on the match, Guardiola picked a more experimental team, including Bernardo and Stones starting. Aston Villa’s Antoine Semenyo scored first, and Ollie Watkins added two goals after halftime, finishing off a great season for Unai Emery’s team.
City made all their substitutions from the bench, with captain Bernardo coming off just before the hour mark. With the score tied, both teams formed a Guard of Honour for Bernardo, who was clearly touched by the gesture. Watkins scored right after the change to give Villa the lead, and 20 minutes later, Stones was also honored with a Guard of Honour by both sides.
Some fans thought this took away from the game’s intensity, especially since there was still a Champions League spot up for grabs. If Villa had lost and Liverpool won their game, sixth place could have earned a Champions League spot. But with City fielding a rotated team, a comeback seemed unlikely as the day focused more on saying goodbye to club legends.
Villa seemed fine with the tribute, but former Man United striker Rooney didn’t like it. “It’s incredible,” he told BBC Match of the Day. “I’ve seen a few things this season, and it just makes me sad. Bernardo Silva and John Stones have been amazing for Manchester City and deserve the respect, but wait until after the game. If I was on the Villa team, I’d be furious.”
Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer agreed. “I was surprised Villa went along with it, especially with so much time left in the game. With over half an hour still to play, I’m on Wayne’s side. I’m not a fan of that happening while the match is still going on.”