Are you 24 or older?

Help us verify your age by providing an honest response. This site contains gambling advertising for 24+.

Age-restricted content

You’re not old enough to view betting content. You’ll be redirected to the homepage.

alt
Live£50

This page contains affiliate links. When you purchase through the links provided, we may earn a commission.

+18 | Commercial Content | T&C's Apply | Play Responsibly | Publishing Principles
Explore Betting on GOAL
Riyad MahrezGetty Images/Goal/Man City
Soham Mukherjee

VIDEO: Once a Blue! Riyad Mahrez makes surprise return to Man City and interrupts training in reunion with Pep Guardiola & former team-mates

R. Mahrez
Manchester City
P. Guardiola
Premier League
Al Ahli

Manchester City’s training ground had a touch of nostalgia this week as former winger Riyad Mahrez made an unexpected appearance, reuniting with old team-mates and staff. The 34-year-old, remembered as one of the defining figures of City’s dominant era, was spotted walking through the Etihad Campus, exchanging warm greetings and laughter with familiar faces.

TV & Broadband Bundles
Virgin Media

Virgin Media

✅ Combines superfast home broadband and live Premier League broadcasting into a single household bill.

✅ Allows you to bolt TNT Sports onto an existing TV package on a 31-day rolling basis for around £25 a month.

✅ Broadband-only customers can use the free Stream box to add and drop the Sky Sports HD pack on a 30-day rolling basis.

Monthly from£52.99
Flexible Sport Add-Ons
EE Logo

EE

✅ The "Sport Plus" tier bundles both Sky Sports (via NOW) and TNT Sports into one seamless package to cover all 267 televised matches.

✅ Allows you to upgrade or downgrade your TV tier each month without breaking your 24-month broadband contract.

✅ Includes the Apple TV 4K or EE TV Box Pro for high-end viewing and easy multi-room streaming setups.

Monthly from£25
Min. 215 Live Games
Sky Sports logo

Sky Sports

✅ Broadcasts at least 215 live Premier League matches per season

✅ Marquee slots including Friday nights, Saturday evenings, all Sunday matches and Monday Night Football

✅ Exclusive broadcaster of all 10 final day matches

 

Monthly from£35
TNT Sport Access
HBO Max

HBO Max

✅ Streams all 52 TNT Sports matches, making it the exclusive home for the early 12:30 pm Saturday fixtures.

✅ Provides exclusive coverage of select full midweek matchdays.

✅ Combines live Premier League football with premium HBO shows and Warner Bros movies in a single app ecosystem.

Monthly from£25.99
Flexible Viewing
NOW TV

NOW

✅ Streams the entire Sky Sports Premier League catalogue over the internet to smart TVs and mobile devices without a satellite dish or installation wait.

✅ Offers 31-day rolling contracts (for £34.99/month) so you can cancel during the summer off-season.

✅ Offers 24-hour Day Memberships for £14.99 if you only want to watch a single specific derby or match.
Monthly from£27.99
TV & Broadband Bundles
Virgin Media

Virgin Media

✅ Combines superfast home broadband and live Premier League broadcasting into a single household bill.

✅ Allows you to bolt TNT Sports onto an existing TV package on a 31-day rolling basis for around £25 a month.

✅ Broadband-only customers can use the free Stream box to add and drop the Sky Sports HD pack on a 30-day rolling basis.

Monthly from£52.99
Flexible Sport Add-Ons
EE Logo

EE

✅ The "Sport Plus" tier bundles both Sky Sports (via NOW) and TNT Sports into one seamless package to cover all 267 televised matches.

✅ Allows you to upgrade or downgrade your TV tier each month without breaking your 24-month broadband contract.

✅ Includes the Apple TV 4K or EE TV Box Pro for high-end viewing and easy multi-room streaming setups.

Monthly from£25
  • Mahrez returns for surprise City visit
  • Rodri compares him to new signing Cherki
  • Winger thriving in Saudi Pro League
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Mahrez, who joined the club from Leicester City in 2018, became a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola’s squad during his six-year spell. And his sudden visit provided a moment of humour when midfielder Rodri, clearly delighted to see his former team-mate, drew a light-hearted comparison between Mahrez and one of City’s summer signings, Rayan Cherki.

  • WATCH THE CLIP

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Mahrez’s influence at City extended far beyond his statistics. His ability to deliver in crucial matches made him one of Guardiola’s most dependable attacking options. The 2021-22 season, in particular, showcased his importance. That year, Mahrez finished as City’s leading scorer with 24 goals in all competitions, helping to secure another league title. In 2023, Mahrez also played a key role in City’s historic Champions League victory, finally ending the club’s wait for European glory. His time in Manchester yielded 78 goals and 59 assists in 236 appearances, alongside a glittering collection of honours, four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the long-awaited Champions League triumph.

    • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

    Follow GOAL on Google
  • Riyad Mahrez Pep Guardiola Manchester CityGetty Image/ Goal AR

    WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

    Guardiola’s side will kick off their Premier League campaign on August 16 against Wolves. Before that, they have a friendly date with Palermo on Saturday. 

Next matches
MCI

MCI

Premier League

31 Oct 2026

BHA

BHA

ALS

ALS

AFC Champions League Elite

02 Nov 2026

AHL

AHL