Man City players party until 1.30am despite Premier League title race with Arsenal

Manchester City's squad descended upon Louis Night Club in the city centre on Tuesday evening to bid farewell to two departing legends.

The celebration honoured club captain Bernardo Silva and defender John Stones, both of whom announced last month they would be leaving at the end of the current campaign.

Silva's departure marks the conclusion of a remarkable nine-year spell with the club, during which the Portuguese midfielder accumulated an extraordinary 18 major honours.

His trophy haul includes the Champions League and six Premier League titles, cementing his status as one of the most decorated players in City's history.

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Stones has been at the Etihad since arriving in 2016.

The gathering attracted a host of current and former players along with their partners.

Phil Foden attended with wife Rebecca Cooke, departing shortly before 10pm dressed in a white shirt, denim jeans and blue jacket.

Former City captain Kyle Walker, who left for Burnley earlier this year, made an appearance without partner Annie Kilner.

Mateo Kovacic arrived with wife Izabel, while Erling Haaland brought girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, though the striker avoided photographers by concealing himself in the rear of a £400,000 Maybach Mercedes.

England defender Marc Guehi was spotted leaving at half past 10.

Pep Guardiola's coaching staff were represented by former Arsenal defender Kolo Toure.

The festivities stretched across five and a half hours, commencing at 8pm with the final guests departing at 1:30am.

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Perhaps the most entertaining moment of the evening involved Silva's journey home.

Despite his apartment being a mere 150 yards from the venue, the departing captain required a lift from international teammate Ruben Dias in his Lamborghini Urus 4x4.

When one staff member observed that Silva could easily have made the short walk, the response was telling: "I don't think he was capable."

Several other attendees opted for discreet exits, with a number of players leaving through the bin room in vehicles with blacked-out windows.

Curiously, Stones himself was not spotted at the celebration held partly in his honour, nor was his wife Olivia Naylor, though the photo booth bore both players' names.

The farewell celebrations came at a delicate moment in City's season, with the club still in the mix for Premier League glory.

However, their title hopes suffered a setback on Monday when they could only manage a draw against Everton.

That result handed the advantage back to Arsenal, who now sit five points clear at the summit with just three matches remaining.

City, occupying second place, have four fixtures left to play.

The champions had previously closed the gap entirely after defeating their north London rivals last month, but the dropped points at the Hill Dickinson Stadium have left them facing an uphill battle.

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