Matheus Nunes scored a priceless stoppage-time winner as Manchester City beat high five-rivals Aston Villa 2-1 on Tuesday to spice up their bid to qualify for the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s facet have been seconds away from a harmful draw on the Etihad Stadium after Bernardo Silva’s early opener was cancelled out by Marcus Rashford’s penalty. But Nunes’s last-gasp strike sparked wild celebrations from Guardiola and his gamers as they climbed to 3rd place within the Premier League.
With the race for a top-five end approaching a tense climax, Portugal midfielder Nunes, transformed to right-back currently, couldn’t have picked a greater time to web his first league objective for City.
City’s fifteenth successive residence league win towards Villa wasn’t fairly as beautiful because the fightback from two targets down that introduced them the Premier League title on the final day of the 2021-22 season.
But it might show nearly as profitable, with a spot within the Champions League now inside their management.
With 4 video games left, City will stay at the least fifth even when fourth-placed Nottingham Forest, fifth-placed Newcastle and sixth-placed Chelsea every win their sport in hand.
After successful the Premier League six occasions within the earlier seven seasons, City have been diminished to combating for a spot within the Champions League at a time of yr when they’re often within the title hunt.
City’s decline has already been exceptional sufficient, however enduring a primary season with out Champions League motion since 2010-11 can be a brand new low and this was a significant step in avoiding that destiny.
City will flip their consideration to the FA Cup semi-final towards Nottingham Forest at Wembley on Sunday, whereas Villa should bounce again from a painful loss in time for their very own last-four conflict with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Villa have been eradicated from the Champions League quarter-finals final week after narrowly failing of their bid for a dramatic fightback towards Paris Saint-Germain within the second leg.
– City saviour –
This was one other blow for Unai Emery’s seventh-placed facet, who’re two factors adrift of the highest 5 with 4 video games left.
With Rashford on mortgage from Manchester United, it was no shock that his identify was loudly jeered by City followers earlier than kick-off.
The England ahead nearly silenced the boos simply 19 seconds after kick-off when he slalomed previous Ruben Dias for a low drive that smacked off the far put up.
After that slim escape, Silva landed the primary blow for City within the seventh minute.
Omar Marmoush was the catalyst with an incisive surge into the Villa space earlier than reducing his cross again to Silva, whose stinging strike from 10 yards was too highly effective for Emiliano Martinez’s awkward tried save to maintain out.
Silva’s first objective since December provoked a direct response from Villa.
In the 18th minute, Jacob Ramsey induced a lumbering problem from Dias, who tripped the midfielder for a penalty that was solely awarded by referee Craig Pawson after VAR advised him to seek the advice of the pitchside monitor.
Guardiola was livid with the choice, incomes a reserving for his tirade on the fourth official.
Rashford saved his nerve, sending Stefan Ortega the mistaken approach from the spot for his fourth objective since his mortgage transfer within the January switch window.
Rashford’s blistering velocity was a relentless hazard to City and he simply out-paced their again 4 for a shot that Ortega blocked together with his legs.
However, City acquired to grips with Rashford higher within the second half as they pushed for a winner.
Nunes was their saviour within the fourth of 5 minutes of stoppage time when he met Jeremy Doku’s low cross with an outstanding end from probably the most acute of angles six yards from objective.
Guardiola’s frenzied fist-pumping dance of pleasure underlined the importance of an important end in a turbulent season that might nonetheless have an uplifting finale.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
