“What are you talking about?!” – Pep Guardiola opens up on Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku after Aston Villa heroics | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has glowed with delight when discussing his match-winners for Manchester City against Aston Villa on Tuesday night.

As the reigning Premier League champions continue to go in search for a place in the top-five of the table this season, in order to secure qualification for the Champions League next season, the latest result was simply huge for the team.

While Bernardo Silva’s first-half strike was cancelled out by a Marcus Rashford goal from the penalty spot, it was Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku who combined in injury time at the end of the 90 minutes to secure all three points and leave the Etihad Stadium celebrating.

The converted right-back and the club’s alternating left-winger have come under some scrutiny at various points of the season for different reasons, although it was their link-up that could prove telling in the race for the Champions League.

Speaking during his post-match media conference from the Etihad Stadium, manager Pep Guardiola was keen to first pile on the praise for Matheus Nunes, after the Portugal international has found a new lease of life in the club’s right-back position.

“He’s incredibly loved. When he talks in the media it’s always serious but in the locker room he’s the complete opposite, always laughing,” Guardiola said. “He’s playing not in a natural position.”

“If you told me at the beginning of the season you’re going to play the end of the season to reach a final and fight to qualify for the Champions League with Matheus and Nico [O’Reilly] at full-back I’d say, ‘What are you talking about?!'”

The 54-year-old continued, “He’s done well, incredible pace, a different type of player to Rico [Lewis]. In small spaces, [Rico Lewis] is so clean the way he plays.

“[Nunes’] physicality, when he has to run, hold good wingers he’s able to do it and he’s playing better. Not just for the goal. Both have been so important.”

And it was another big moment for Jeremy Doku too in somewhat of a difficult campaign for the Belgian, as he provided a remarkable outside-the-boot assist for Matheus Nunes to convert home in the dying seconds of the game.

“Jeremy always gives you something for the crowd and can change the game. Of course he can play all of it. In the first three or four actions against [Axel] Disasi he was being held by [Donyell] Malen and he couldn’t do the action,” Guardiola said.

“But at the end, for me, Jeremy is the best player in the world in the first five metres – he’s unstoppable. He made the action and an incredible good cross and to score you have to be there.

“[Ilkay] Gundo was there, Nico [O’Reilly] was there, and today Matheus [Nunes] was there and we could score and win.”

It remains to be seen whether the showing from Doku will be enough to earn him a starting place when Manchester City return to action on Sunday afternoon, with Nottingham Forest the opposition at Wembley Stadium in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.