Spanish tactician, Pep Guardiola expressed his excitement over Matheus Nunes’s stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa.
Pep Guardiola noted that Manchester City typically doesn’t score as many late goals as some of their Premier League rivals.
Nunes delivered a crucial 2-1 victory for Manchester City in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Guardiola celebrated the moment with an enthusiastic fist pump and a joyful roar, emphasizing the importance of the result.
With this victory, City gained control of their Champions League qualification prospects, now facing four decisive matches in a challenging league season.
Guardiola reflected on the rarity of such late goals for City, acknowledging that teams like Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp and Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have made a habit of dramatic finishes. “We’re not used to it, and that’s why I’m feeling really, really happy,” he remarked.
“Football brings emotion—not just for the fans, but for the players as well. There’s significant pressure to qualify for the Champions League. The players performed exceptionally, and we’re proud to be in a position to contend in the last four games.”
Nunes’s first league goal for City followed a controversial penalty by Aston Villa striker Marcus Rashford that temporarily levelled the score after Bernardo Silva’s early goal.
Guardiola received a booking for expressing his frustration towards the fourth official after VAR intervened regarding a penalty for a foul by Ruben Dias on Jacob Ramsey.
Despite the earlier frustrations, City experienced a rare and uplifting moment in a difficult campaign, during which they will ultimately relinquish the title they held for the past four seasons. Given the circumstances, Guardiola is focused on securing a top-five finish this season.
“Aston Villa is a strong team, one of the top teams in Europe. However, we played really well; we were aggressive in our duels, and the back four were outstanding,” he stated.
“Football often requires you to endure disappointment, but I believe our performance was commendable, and we achieved a well-deserved result.”
Now seventh in the league, Villa find themselves two points shy of the top five with four matches remaining. This defeat comes on the heels of a challenging exit from the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain.
Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, urged his players to remain focused and rebound in their upcoming FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley. “We mustn’t dwell on this loss; while we had a tough finish, we competed well and were close to equalizing,” he noted.
“Over the course of the match, Manchester City had the upper hand, but we showcased good competitive spirit. We need to maintain our momentum and continue to push ourselves to improve and strengthen our performance.”