In a dramatic Premier League showdown at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City snatched a vital 2-1 victory over Aston Villa deep into stoppage time, reigniting their charge for a top-three finish.
With the clock ticking down and the game poised for a draw, Matheus Nunes netted his first goal of the season, capping off a dazzling late run from Jeremy Doku.
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The goal sent City fans into raptures and handed Pep Guardiola’s side three invaluable points, moving them four points clear of Villa in the standings and into third place.
City dominated possession throughout the contest but were repeatedly let down by their finishing. Bernardo Silva gave the hosts a first-half lead, but they failed to add to it during regular time despite a flurry of chances.
Aston Villa, resilient under Unai Emery, clawed their way back through a second-half penalty converted by Marcus Rashford, which appeared to secure a hard-earned point.
However, City’s persistence paid off in the dying moments. Despite having a lower expected goals tally (xG) than their visitors—1.09 to Villa’s 1.68—they outshot the Midlands side two-to-one and maintained pressure until the final whistle.
The defeat leaves Aston Villa in seventh, clinging to their hopes of European qualification, while City tighten their grip on a top-three spot as the season nears its climax.
Both teams now turn their attention to the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend.
Manchester City will face Nottingham Forest, while Aston Villa square off against Crystal Palace. If fortunes align, the two sides could meet again in a high-stakes cup final.
