A late Matheus Nunes goal gave Manchester City a 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, boosting their UEFA Champions League qualification ambitions.
Bernardo Silva broke through Villa’s defence in the 7th minute to give the hosts an early lead. As Ruben Dias fouled Jacob Ramsey, Marcus Rashford scored a contentious penalty in the 18th minute for the visitors. Nunes scored from Jeremy Doku’s low cross in the 94th minute to give City the win.
It was vital. A powerful opponent made this game difficult. After the match, Nunes declared, “We came to win.”
After scoring his first Premier League goal of the season, the Portuguese midfielder said, “Perfect time! The timing was perfect.”
Guardiola complimented his team’s resilience against Villa, which previously challenged Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarterfinals.
“I’m thrilled. We’ve reached the last four in five games and are a Champions League contender.
One of Europe’s best teams, Aston Villa plays to the end.
“We played great. The back-four was amazing, and we duelled aggressively.
football is feeling. Fan and player pressure to qualify for the Champions League is high.
“We’re thrilled with the players’ behaviour. The pace of Jeremy Doku can produce something.”
Man City moves up to third in the Premier League with 61 points, one ahead of Nottingham Forest in fourth. For the unfamiliar, Aston Villa is seventh and still in contention for a top-five finish and Champions League membership next season.
