Matheus Nunes scored a dramatic injury-time winner to give Manchester City a vital 2-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday, keeping their hopes for Champions League qualification alive.
With the match seemingly headed for a draw after Marcus Rashford’s penalty canceled out Bernardo Silva’s opener, Nunes latched onto a Jeremy Doku cross in the 94th minute to seal three points for Pep Guardiola’s side. The win lifted City to third in the table with 61 points, though they’ve played one more game than the teams trailing closely behind.
Villa, who haven’t won at the Etihad Stadium in their last 15 visits, remain seventh with 57 points.
“We are not used to scoring late winners, so I’m really happy,” Guardiola said. “We’re in the last four or five games, and we’re fighting for Champions League qualification.”
City took an early lead in the 7th minute when Omar Marmoush beat Matty Cash and delivered a cutback for Bernardo Silva, whose shot slipped past Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez despite a touch on the ball.
Rashford equalized in the 18th minute after a VAR review determined Ruben Dias had clipped Jacob Ramsey inside the box. Rashford confidently sent Stefan Ortega the wrong way from the penalty spot.
City had more chances throughout the match, finishing with 14 shots to Villa’s seven. Their persistence paid off in stoppage time when Doku sprinted down the left and squared the ball to Nunes, who tapped in at the far post — his first Premier League goal for the club.
“This was a very tough game, very tough opponent,” said Nunes. “We came with the mentality that we needed to win. Perfect timing.”
The goal sent the Etihad crowd into a frenzy. Guardiola celebrated with clenched fists while Villa boss Unai Emery could only look on in disappointment.
“This was a special game to get three points,” said City defender Ruben Dias. “Four games to go and all of them are massively important. It’s a massive step.”
City controlled 61.6% of the possession and created several strong second-half chances. Kevin De Bruyne’s pass set up James McAtee, who shot wide. McAtee then missed another clear chance from close range after a pinpoint cross from Nico O’Reilly.
Rashford continued to be a threat in the second half, including a solo run that ended with a shot into the side netting.
“Over 90 minutes, City dominated more,” Emery said. “But we played a good, competitive match. We have to keep going. There’s no time to waste.”
