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In a thrilling finish at the Etihad Stadium, Matheus Nunes scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner to hand Manchester City a crucial 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday night. The result pushes City to third in the Premier League table, keeping their hopes of Champions League qualification alive in a congested top-five race.
Early Goals Set the Stage
City struck early in the 7th minute, with Bernardo Silva converting a cut-back from Omar Marmoush. Despite Villa keeper Emi Martinez getting a hand to the ball, Silva’s shot nestled into the net to put the home side ahead.
But Villa equalized just 11 minutes later. A VAR review ruled that Ruben Dias clipped Jacob Ramsey, earning Villa a penalty. Marcus Rashford calmly converted, sending Stefan Ortega the wrong way to level the score at 1-1.
Rashford had already shown his intent by striking the post just 18 seconds into the match.
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Injury-Time Heroics from Nunes
Despite dominating possession (61.6%) and creating more chances, City struggled to find a second goal—until the dying moments. In the 94th minute, Jeremy Doku tore down the left flank and squared the ball to the far post, where Matheus Nunes calmly slotted home for his first Premier League goal for the club.
“Very important,” Nunes told Sky Sports. “This was a very tough game, very tough opponent… Perfect timing.”
The dramatic goal sent the Etihad into raptures, with Pep Guardiola punching the air in celebration, while Unai Emery could only watch in frustration as Villa suffered their 15th consecutive loss at the Etihad.
Champions League Race Intensifies
The win lifts City to third place with 61 points, though they have played one more match than the three teams directly behind them. Villa remains seventh with 57 points, still within reach of European qualification.
“We are in the last four or five games, and a Champions League contender for qualification,” Guardiola said. “We are not used to scoring late winners, so I’m really happy.”
Ruben Dias added,
“Four games to go and all of them will be massively important. It is a massive step for us.”
Missed Chances and Tactical Battles
City created numerous chances to put the game to bed:
- Kevin De Bruyne delivered a beautiful pass to James McAtee, who narrowly missed the target.
- McAtee later failed to connect with a precise cross from Nico O’Reilly.
- Meanwhile, Rashford remained a threat for Villa, including a promising solo run in the second half that ended with a shot into the side netting.
Despite City’s dominance in possession and chances, Emery praised his side’s competitiveness:
“Over 90 minutes, they dominated more, but we played a good competitive match. We can’t waste time now, we have to keep going.”
