EPL: Nunes strike late to seals vital win for Man City over Aston Villa
Posted by Titinaija on April 23, 2025
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Manchester City kept their Champions League ambitions on track with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, courtesy of a stoppage-time goal from Matheus Nunes.
In a tense Premier League showdown, City took the lead early through Bernardo Silva, only to be pegged back when Marcus Rashford calmly converted a penalty after a VAR check deemed Rúben Dias had fouled Jacob Ramsey. With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Nunes popped up in the 94th minute to convert Jérémy Doku’s low cross, delivering a crucial three points for Pep Guardiola’s side.
The win lifts City to third place in the table with 61 points, jumping ahead of two rivals — although they’ve played more matches than the teams immediately behind them. Aston Villa, meanwhile, stay seventh on 57 points and extend their miserable record at the Etihad, having now lost 15 straight visits.
City struck first in the 7th minute, as Omar Marmoush breezed past Matty Cash and set up Silva, whose low shot beat Emiliano Martinez despite the Villa keeper getting a touch. Villa responded swiftly, with Rashford — on loan from Manchester United — converting from the spot in the 18th minute, sending Stefan Ortega the wrong way.
City controlled much of the game with 61.6% possession and double the number of shots compared to Villa. Kevin De Bruyne’s creativity nearly paid off in the second half, setting up James McAtee for two promising chances, but the youngster couldn’t convert either opportunity.
Villa remained dangerous on the break, with Rashford nearly adding a second after a powerful solo run, only to fire into the side netting.
In the end, it was Nunes’ perfectly timed run to the back post that made the difference, giving City a crucial win as the race for Champions League qualification intensifies.
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