Player Ratings: Doku and Nunes Deliver Last-Minute Joy for Man City | OneFootball

Man City Edge Villa Late On in Premier League Thriller

Manchester City have grown used to finding answers in chaos. Against Aston Villa at the Etihad, they found one more—at the very last. Matheus Nunes’ 94th-minute strike, a dagger into a game balanced on a tightrope, sealed a 2-1 victory and nudged City back into the Premier League’s top three.

It was a night where rhythm was hard-earned, patterns scarce, and improvisation vital. Villa, emboldened under Unai Emery, did not just arrive to contain. From the very first seconds, they threatened to disrupt.

Rashford’s Early Spark Gives Villa Belief

Seventeen seconds had elapsed when Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, rattled the post and Ruben Dias’ confidence. The audacity of the effort shook City, temporarily scrambling a side Pep Guardiola had restructured into a box midfield without width.

Yet by the seventh minute, the reigning champions had asserted their shape. Omar Marmoush, drifting out wide in search of influence, wriggled past Matty Cash and delivered a cutback for Bernardo Silva. The shot was tame but Emi Martinez turned calamity, letting the ball bounce off him and over the line.

Villa’s response was swift and assertive. Rashford, fizzing with purpose, tore forward again and forced a penalty as Dias lunged in on the advancing Jacob Ramsey. From the spot, Rashford was assured. Level terms felt merited.

Tactical Gamble, Late Payoff

This was not a City performance polished in style but one of constant tinkering. James McAtee, nominally a attacking midfielder, found himself deeper, tasked with supplying ideas in the absence of structure. His chipped second-half effort drifted just wide, while a scrambled attempt minutes later underlined the opportunity lost.

As time ticked, Guardiola introduced Jeremy Doku—direct, elusive, and suddenly vital. In a contest starved of space, he created some. With the match ticking into stoppage time, Doku danced past Axel Disasi and rolled the ball across the box for Nunes to convert.

The Etihad erupted. Guardiola celebrated with the intensity of a man who knew what was at stake. With Newcastle still to play, City climb to third; Villa remain seventh, now two points adrift of the top five.

Premier League Picture Tightens

This was billed as a ‘final’ by Guardiola, and though its aesthetics faltered at times, the drama was undisputed. It was a reminder that in this season’s Premier League race—crowded, competitive, and chaotic—moments, not methods, often dictate the margins.

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