Nunes Theater Goal Man City Jumps to No. 3 in the Premier League Over Villa
Apr 23, 2025
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Manchester City beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the 34th round of the 2024-2025 English Premier League (EPL) at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England on the 22nd (local time). Manchester City, which won with Matheus Nunes' dramatic winning goal just before the end of the game, added three points to solidify its third place in the league.
The game was fierce from the start. It was Aston Villa, the visiting team, who faced the kill. Just 17 seconds into the first half, Marcus Rashford quickly dug into the box and attempted a powerful right-footed shot, which hit the post and put Manchester City in crisis. Villa shook Manchester City's defense by raising the defense line from the beginning.
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Manchester City's momentum was likely to continue, but Aston Villa immediately launched a counterattack. In the 18th minute of the first half, Jacob Ramsey fell in a collision with Ruben Dias while breaking into the box, and the referee declared a penalty after VAR review. Rashford, the kicker, completely deceived the goalkeeper and scored. The game went back to 1-1 and back to square one.
After the equalizer, the two teams fought off aggressively. Manchester City tried to create space by exchanging quick passes near the opponent's box with Phil Foden and Alvarez at the center, while Aston Villa made a more threatening scene in the counterattack. In particular, Rashford and McGinn's linked play threatened Manchester City's defense several times.
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But Villa fought back with an organized defense. Defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara and defender Pau Torres were outstanding, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved the team with several saves. In particular, in the 71st minute of the second half, Silva's powerful mid-range shot with one hand was the highlight.
As the game time passed, the possibility of ending in a draw became high, but a dramatic scene was produced in the second half of the extra time. In the 94th minute, Doku attempted a low, fast cross from the left side, which Matheus Nunes connected with a precise right footed shot to score the winning goal. The Aston Villa defence missed Nunes and allowed a painful run, and Manchester City fans burst into explosive cheers.
Immediately after the game, Guardiola said "The concentration of the players who did not give up until the end shone. We fought like champions today." Nunes, the winner of the winning goal, has been waiting for this moment. I'm happy to contribute to the team." He expressed his delight in scoring his first Premier League goal.
With this victory, Manchester City remained in third place with 61 points (18 wins, 7 draws, 6 losses). It also narrowed the gap between second-ranked Arsenal (64 points) and first-ranked Liverpool (66 points). On the other hand, Aston Villa remained in seventh place with 57 points, putting pressure on them to secure a spot in the European match.
Manchester City led the game with its unique possession football and pressure tactics, but struggled with Aston Villa's cohesive defense. However, by bringing the victory in the end, he was able to take a step ahead in the final competition of the Premier League.
City face Brighton in the next round, while Aston Villa face Wolverhampton at home.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
