Matheus Nunes fired home a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal a vital 2-1 victory for Manchester City over Aston Villa on Tuesday night, sending Pep Guardiola into wild celebrations and lifting City into third place in the Premier League.
Unai Emery had confidently declared “we are ready” before kickoff—but City weren’t. Within seconds, Marcus Rashford rattled the post after slicing through a stunned City defence, exposing early nerves in the home side.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
That early warning jolted City into life, and they responded quickly. Just seven minutes in, Omar Marmoush drifted wide from a central role in Guardiola’s narrow setup, beating Matty Cash and cutting the ball back for Bernardo Silva. His effort, tame and central, somehow slipped through Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, rebounding off Silva’s boot and into the net.
After being denied by the woodwork early on, Rashford wouldn’t be denied a second time. In the 18th minute, his blistering pace opened space for Jacob Ramsey to charge into the box, where he was brought down by Ruben Dias. Rashford coolly converted the resulting penalty.
With both sides chasing Champions League spots, Guardiola called the clash a “final”—and he approached it like one. City’s unusual formation saw James McAtee and Marmoush forming a makeshift front two in front of a winger-less box midfield. From that role, McAtee nearly made it 2-1, first with a looping shot just wide and then with a mis-hit from six yards.
The chaos of the opening stages gave way to a more measured rhythm—City probing in possession while Villa threatened on the break. Emery’s side remained composed, confidently playing out from the back under intense pressure.
But Guardiola’s masterstroke came late. In the final quarter of an hour, he introduced Jeremy Doku, injecting width into a game that had largely played out through the middle. The Belgian winger beat Axel Disasi with a slick move before squaring for Nunes to slam home the match-winner in the 94th minute.
The result pushed City up to third in the table, while Villa slipped to seventh—two points off the top five, with Newcastle still to play their game in hand.
