Manchester City vs Aston Villa Report

Scorers: Silva 7’, Nunes 90+4’; Rashford 18’ (P)

A dramatic 94th-minute winner from Matheus Nunes earned Manchester City a vital 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, extending their dominance in this fixture with a 15th consecutive home league win against the Villans. The win keeps City firmly in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification, while Villa miss a key chance to extend their away unbeaten run in the Premier League.

First Half – Fast Start and Early Drama

Aston Villa came out firing and nearly stunned the hosts inside the opening 20 seconds when Marcus Rashford struck the post with a fierce shot. City, however, responded swiftly and clinically, with Bernardo Silva firing home in the seventh minute after excellent build-up play from Omar Marmoush.

Villa weren’t behind for long. A VAR review awarded them a penalty after Rúben Dias fouled Jacob Ramsey in the area. Rashford coolly dispatched the spot-kick past Stefan Ortega to bring the visitors level on 17 minutes.

As the half progressed, both sides pushed for a second goal — De Bruyne was denied by Emiliano Martínez, while Ortega stood tall to prevent Rashford from scoring his second.

Second Half – City Control, Villa Threaten

After the break, City asserted themselves with long spells of possession but struggled to break down Villa’s well-drilled defence. James McAtee nearly caught Martínez off-guard with a lofted effort that drifted wide, and Rashford remained a threat on the counter, firing into the side netting after beating Ortega to the ball.

City’s persistence looked to have paid off late on when Marmoush found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside, keeping the game finely poised heading into stoppage time.

Stoppage-Time Winner – Nunes the Hero

Just as it looked like points would be shared, City struck at the death. Substitute Jérémy Doku found space down the wing and sent in a low cross to the far post, where Matheus Nunes arrived unmarked to coolly slot home the winning goal in the 94th minute. The result sparked wild celebrations and handed Guardiola’s men a huge boost in their top-four bid.

What It Means

Manchester City’s ninth home win of the calendar year moves them one step closer to securing Champions League football for next season. Villa, despite a spirited display, missed the chance to stretch their unbeaten away run to four games for the first time since the 2008/09 season.

What’s Next

Manchester City will travel to Fulham for their next league fixture, as the season nears its conclusion. Aston Villa return to Villa Park to face fellow European hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

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Man City v Aston Villa, 2024/25 | Premier League