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Matheus Nunes scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to hand Manchester City a 2-1 victory over fellow top-five contenders Aston Villa on Tuesday, giving their hopes of Champions League qualification a crucial lift.
With City on the verge of dropping points at the Etihad Stadium, Bernardo Silva’s early opener had been cancelled out by Marcus Rashford’s first-half penalty. But Nunes, deployed as a right-back in recent weeks, produced a composed finish in the dying moments to secure a vital win and send Pep Guardiola and his players into wild celebrations.
The result propelled City into third place in the Premier League, reinforcing their grip on a top-five finish with just four matches remaining. Even if Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, and Chelsea – who occupy fourth, fifth and sixth respectively – win their games in hand, City are now guaranteed to stay in the top five for the time being.
While City’s run of six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons has set high standards, they now find themselves locked in a battle to ensure a place in next season’s Champions League – a far cry from their usual title-challenging position at this stage of the campaign. Missing out on Europe’s elite competition for the first time since the 2010–11 season would mark a significant downturn, making Nunes’ late goal all the more valuable.
City will now prepare for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Wembley, while Villa must regroup ahead of their own semi-final clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Villa’s defeat came just days after their exit from the Champions League quarter-finals, where they narrowly missed overturning a deficit against Paris Saint-Germain.
Nunes to the Rescue
Unai Emery’s Villa, who sit seventh and two points off the top five, suffered another setback in their push for European football next season.
Rashford, currently on loan from Manchester United, was greeted with loud jeers from the City supporters prior to kick-off. However, he nearly stunned the home crowd within the opening seconds, weaving past Ruben Dias and rattling the far post with a fierce low drive.
City made the most of that let-off and took the lead in the seventh minute. Omar Marmoush sparked the move with a sharp run into the Villa penalty area, laying the ball off to Silva, whose drive from 10 yards squirmed under Emiliano Martinez.
Silva’s first goal since December was quickly met with a response from the visitors. In the 18th minute, Jacob Ramsey won a penalty after being clumsily tripped by Dias – a decision only given after a VAR review prompted referee Craig Pawson to check the pitchside monitor. Guardiola was incensed and received a yellow card for his protests.
Rashford made no mistake from the spot, sending Stefan Ortega the wrong way to score his fourth goal since joining Villa on loan in January.
The England forward continued to trouble City’s defence with his pace, forcing Ortega into another crucial save as he sped through the backline.
City gradually tightened up in defence and turned their focus to finding a winner. That moment came deep into added time, when Jeremy Doku’s low cross found Nunes, who converted from a tight angle to claim his first league goal for the club.
Guardiola’s euphoric reaction on the touchline captured the significance of the win in what has been a challenging season. With their Champions League ambitions still alive, City’s campaign could yet end on a high.
