Man City vs Aston Villa LIVE: Matheus Nunes nets late winner as hosts move into top four
Man City 2-1 Aston Villa: Pep Guardiola’s men close in on a Champions League place with big win over rivals Villa
Manchester City moved up to third in the Premier League and took a huge step to securing Champions League football after beating Aston Villa 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
Unai Emery’s Villa started proceedings in rapid fashion with Marcus Rashford, starting ahead of Marco Asensio and Ollie Watkins, striking the post just 17 seconds into the match. The visitors had another strong chance batted away and City managed to strike first.
Omar Marmoush drove into the box from the left wing and pulled a pass back to Bernardo Silva who rocketed in the opener to get the Etihad celebrating. Their joy didn’t last long as Jacob Ramsey was brought down in the City box resulting in a penalty that Rashford converted to bring the game level at half-time.
City turned up the tempo in the second hlaf but they needed stoppage time to force a winner as Matheus Nunes arrived at the back post to turn Jeremy Doku’s cross into the back of the net and secure all three points.
Follow all the latest build-up, team news and updates from the Etihad below:
Matheus Nunes unlocks key to dismantling Aston Villa and charts a way back for misfiring signings
The time when Pep Guardiola called Matheus Nunes one of the best players in the world feels distant. The statement was discredited long before Guardiola said his £50m signing was not clever enough to play in the middle.
But as a makeshift right-back, Nunes may have sent Manchester City surging back into the Champions League. He has often looked a bad buy and yet, in an instant, a man deemed a waste of money could have scored a priceless goal.
Matheus Nunes unlocks the key to dismantling Aston Villa in crunch clash
Man City’s ‘bad season’ cannot be salvaged reveals Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola says that this season has been ‘bad’ for Manchester City and no results from now until the end of the season will be able to change that.
City defeated Aston Villa 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening to move up to third in the Premier League after Matheus Nunes’ 94th minute winner which puts the team one step closer to securing Champions League football next year.
The club are also in the FA Cup semi-finals and can end the season with some silverware despite their struggles to challenge for the league title.
Man City’s ‘bad season’ cannot be salvaged reveals Pep Guardiola
De Bruyne the playmaker
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne created six chances in this match, with no other player creating more than two. It was the 60th time that the Belgian created 5+ chances in a single Premier League game, the most any player has done so on Opta’s records (from 2003-04).
Manchester City's Matheus Nunes speaking to Sky Sports:
"Very important and this was a very tough game.
"Very tough opponent and we came with the mentality that we needed to win this game.
"We are going to see at the end of the season how big this win is going to be.
"Every three points now till the end of the season is going to be very important."
Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans, speaking to Sky Sports:
"So frustrating to lose in the last minute of the game where we fought really hard - we blocked pretty much everything.
"To lose like that on that last action is so frustrating.
"We got the first chance and they got the last one. They score, we don't, that's football.
"We have four games in the Premier League left. We're going to give our all and hopefully we get a good result in and be back where we want to be in the Champions League positions.
"We have to analyse and see where we can be better.
"Saturday, we have the semi-final [in the FA Cup] which we can hopefully win.
"Now we have full focus on that. We are going to be having a tough night and then focusing on that."
Manchester City vs Aston Villa: Player ratings as Matheu Nunes scores last-gasp winner
It was a right-back who gave Manchester City the edge they needed in a tense, hard-fought 2-1 win over fellow Champions League chasers Aston Villa.
The pace at the Etihad was frantic from the start as Marcus Rashford nearly scored inside the opening 17 seconds, but it was City who took the early lead as Bernardo Silva poked home Omar Marmoush’s pullback at the byline.
Man City vs Aston Villa: Player ratings as Matheu Nunes scores last-gasp winner
Manchester City's Ruben Dias, speaking to Sky Sports:
"They [Aston Villa] are on the run with us to this top five and it was a special game to get the three points.
"Four games to go and all of them will be massively important. Important today to get the three points.
"We know how tight it is and how tight it's going to be till the end. It is a massive step for us.
"This means everything to us. We know exactly the circumstances we are in. Top four and top five means everything to us. This is our Premier League to us."
'It's a big moment for City'
Gay Neville reacting on Sky Sports: “In years gone by, you expect City and Kevin de Bruyne in particular to unlock that door.
“It is such a big moment for Manchester City.”
FT Man City 2-1 Aston Villa
Ecstasy for Manchester City at the end of the game.
Matheus Nunes scored his first Premier League goal for City and it was an important one.
Look what it means to Pep Guardiola.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments