On Sunday night, a Man City parade made its way through Manchester city centre to celebrate the club's historic fourth consecutive Premier League title.
The Blues had committed to the parade earlier in the week but after their defeat to Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup final on Saturday afternoon, the players perhaps weren't in the mood to celebrate too much. Based on footage shared on social media, the Man City fans weren't overly enthused either.
For a club that is often accused of having a small fan base, their supporters did very little to dispel those accusations on Sunday with a poor turnout for the parade. While they can perhaps be forgiven for taking these moments for granted given the club's success under Pep Guardiola, this was an opportunity to show that the cup final loss hadn't dampened their spirits.
Man City’s title parade is underway🩵 pic.twitter.com/fkGbFLcifX
— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) May 26, 2024
The pavements along Deansgate were seen relatively empty and while the crowd picked up as the open-top bus made its way to the Hilton Hotel, the party never really got started. Perhaps if they had waited a few days to let the dust settle after Saturday's cup final disappointment, a better atmosphere could have been generated.
Jack Grealish makes the most of Man City parade
One man who was keen to ensure he made the most of the title celebrations was Jack Grealish. The England forward had a poor season from a personal point of view but was seen front and centre on top of the parade bus, drinking alcohol and dancing the night away.
At one point he nearly toppled over the edge of the top deck of the bus only to be saved by Jeremy Doku, the man who has effectively taken his place in the Man City team. Grealish was an unused substitute during the FA Cup final despite the Blues needing two goals to rescue the game in the second half.
Jack Grealish nearly FALLING OFF THE BUS. 😭 pic.twitter.com/wA4nvVbbCN
— City Report (@cityreport_) May 26, 2024
It isn't the first time that Grealish has been at the centre of City's title celebrations. He has won a Premier League winners medal in each of his three seasons at the Etihad Stadium and went on a summer-long bender after the Blues won the treble last season. Gareth Southgate will now be hoping Grealish recovers in time to impress during England's pre-Euro 2024 training camp.