Matheus Nunes’ 94th-minute goal secures a crucial win for Manchester City, pushing them into third place in the Premier League standings
In a dramatic Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium, Matheus Nunes scored a last-gasp winner in the 94th minute to give Manchester City a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Aston Villa. The win lifts City to third place with 61 points, four ahead of Chelsea, as they push for a top-five finish and a spot in next season’s Champions League.
The game had everything: drama, tension, and a decisive moment that sent the City fans into raptures. Nunes’ winner came from a cross by Jérémy Doku on the left, which the Portuguese midfielder finished coolly at the far post. The late goal left Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, visibly disappointed as the loss dropped his team to seventh, intensifying the pressure ahead of their upcoming FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.
Earlier in the match, Marcus Rashford had given Villa the lead with a penalty, following a controversial decision by referee Craig Pawson. Rashford was fouled by Rúben Dias in the box, and despite Pawson initially waving away the penalty claim, VAR instructed him to review the decision. After checking the monitor, Pawson awarded the penalty, which Rashford converted calmly past City’s goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
City were far from their best in the first half, but they responded after falling behind. A poor clearance by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez allowed City to equalize, with a deflected cross from Omar Marmoush finding Bernardo Silva, whose shot was parried by Martínez and eventually bundled over the line.
Both teams had their moments, with Rashford causing chaos in City’s defense, but ultimately, it was Nunes’ late strike that sealed the victory and sent Manchester City to a vital three points in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
