Manchester City Clinch Last-Gasp Victory Over Aston Villa
Manchester City secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Matheus Nunes. The crucial result boosted City to third place in the Premier League, enhancing their hopes of Champions League qualification.
The game began with Bernardo Silva opening the scoring in the 7th minute, slotting home after a clever cutback from Omar Marmoush. Aston Villa responded in the 18th minute when Marcus Rashford—on loan from Manchester United—converted a penalty after a VAR-confirmed foul by Rúben Dias on Jacob Ramsey.
Despite controlling possession and creating several chances, City struggled to find the breakthrough until the dying moments. In the 94th minute, substitute Jérémy Doku delivered a low cross that found Matheus Nunes, who calmly finished from a tight angle. The goal marked an impressive performance from Nunes, who adapted well to an unfamiliar right-back role under manager Pep Guardiola.
With the win, Manchester City climbed to 61 points, sitting four points above sixth-placed Chelsea, with four league matches remaining. Although still 18 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool, the result was a significant step in securing a Champions League spot for next season.
Pep Guardiola praised his side's resilience and underlined the importance of the victory, especially ahead of their upcoming FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. He also highlighted standout performances from Nunes and Nico O’Reilly, both playing in unorthodox defensive roles.
Aston Villa, currently seventh in the standings, remain in the hunt for European qualification. Manager Unai Emery expressed pride in his team’s effort and is now preparing for their FA Cup semi-final clash against Crystal Palace.
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