Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was impressed by his side’s performance in Tuesday night’s nail-biting 2-1 triumph over Aston Villa, a huge boost to their UCL qualification hopes for next season.
Portugal international Matheus Nunes scored a stoppage-time winner after good work from second half substitute Jeremy Doku, to spark jubilant scenes among Guardiola and his players.
Bernando Silva had given the Premier League champions an early lead moments after Marcus Rashford had hit the post for the visitors.
The Englishman however equalized from the spot soon after, when City defender Ruben Dias was penalised for a foul on Jacob Ramsey, given after a VAR review.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola was pleased with his side’s fighting spirit, with the late win increasing their chances of securing a top-five finish at the end of the season.
The Spaniard said: “We are not used to it! The last minute win belongs to Liverpool. We are not used to it so I am really happy and we are in the last four games, we know Champions League contenders like Aston Villa, they are one of the top teams in Europe.
We played very good. Aggressive in our duels and back four were unbelievable. Really pleased”, he continued.
“Football is emotion. The last two games were so difficult so we are really pleased. I was so happy. I have to admit it! Try to not lose as 1-1 was not a bad result but the action from Jeremy was so good.”
Manchester City have suffered a dismal campaign, losing out on their league title after winning the last four, leaving the FA Cup as their only hopes of a silverware for the season.
The Cityzens moved up to third in the Premier League standings with the win, while Aston Villa’s UCL hopes were dashed as their five-match winning run was ended.
“The team fought a lot. The performance was really good. It is a fantastic team.
The season has been bad. It doesn’t matter about the final or if we finish in Champions League. What makes you feel good is the Premier League. It happened and sometimes you have bad seasons. Liverpool will be champions and the level of teams is outstanding”, Guardiola concluded.
Manchester City next face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley on Sunday, before continuing their hunt for UCL football with a clash against Wolves on the 2nd of May.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
