On the touchline a picture of two managers with high, contrasting emotion coursing through them after Matheus Nunes’s 94th-minute winner. For Manchester City, Pep Guardiola showed sheer delight at a late, late victory that lifts them to third on 61 points, four ahead of Chelsea in sixth. Across from him, Unai Emery felt despair as Aston Villa were down in seventh, the Spaniard’s next job to lift his men for their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Nunes’s far-post strike from Jérémy Doku’s cross from the left also disappointed Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Chelsea in the race for the top-five berth that secures a Champions League place.
Until Nunes’s intervention, Marcus Rashford, chosen at No 9 by Emery, was the star turn, scoring Villa’s goal – from the spot – as he menaced City’s backline until his removal on 75 minutes: 17 seconds were all the 27‑year‑old forward needed to splay City. The champions’ midfield slumbered, Youri Tielemans made a mug of Josko Gvardiol and found Rashford, who twisted Rúben Dias’s blood and shot: the ball bounced from the base of Stefan Ortega’s left post and the game remained scoreless.
Not for long. City have lacked speed this term, in thought and execution, and this was precisely how Omar Marmoush undid the visitors. The Egyptian swooped around Matty Cash and fired in a cross from the left that deflected into Bernardo Silva; the Portuguese unloaded and a weak Emiliano Martínez parry only pushed the ball in.
For his United connection Rashford was booed each time he collected so, when roaring along the left in the move that led to the penalty, he could chuckle. The ball came to Jacob Ramsey, Dias barged him over, and Craig Pawson initially refused the spot-kick. It seemed obvious so there was scant surprise when the VAR, John Brooks, ordered the referee to the monitor. To Guardiola’s fury Pawson gave the penalty and Rashford, via a slow boot-shuffle, fooled Ortega and rolled the ball in, to the goalkeeper’s left, and his delight.
For the rage directed at the assistant referee, Guardiola was booked – provoking disgust – his anger having ratcheted up when the incident was replayed on the stadium screen before Rashford’s penalty. So, we had a contest that bubbled. An on‑loan United man had registered the equaliser, City felt swindled (wrongly), and Pawson fielded jeers each time he failed to give them what they wished: basically, every decision.
Martínez’s self-proclaimed “all powerful” on-field persona nearly took another battering moments later. A poor clearance from the Argentinian went straight to Silva, who headed it back into the area for Marmoush to take aim. But rushing out, Villa’s No 1 smothered the ball, so he and Villa escaped.
Rashford, in for Ollie Watkins as one of five Emery changes, was near unplayable. Lucas Digne was found on the left, the Villa No 9 fashioned a curving sprint that kept him onside, shredded City’s rearguard and took him in behind. What ensued was a clumsy touch – a Rashford achilles heel – and an attempted dink above the advancing Ortega that was fluffed – his finishing another weakness.
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Guardiola’s two changes were James McAtee and Mateo Kovacic for Savinho and Nico González but at the close of an invigorating period it was Rashford, again, who was the key factor among the fresh personnel. Ignoring more derision from fans, he arrowed in a corner from the left at which Amadou Onana rose and headed and would have given Villa the lead but for a block.
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The point each team headed for at this juncture was not the best in the hunt for the Champions League so, with a burst forward, Morgan Rogers tried to wrest the contest his side’s way. The Villa forward went down under Josko Gvardiol’s attentions, but Pawson was not interested. On show was a bout between two foes who parried, jabbed and counterpunched and City did the latter, launching a raid that claimed a free-kick that pushed Villa back.
McAtee’s delivery, from an inside‑left channel, was scrambled out by Onana for a corner and City had three in succession: one from the right, the others from the left, all taken by Kevin De Bruyne, all failing to breach Villa.
Guardiola spoke of McAtee, who was City’s nominal No 9, having special qualities required for this game. When De Bruyne passed to him and he took aim, here was a chance to show finishing – but, while the lob over Martinez was audacious, it flew wide to the keeper’s left. The Catalan puffed his cheeks, the crowd “oohed” and, soon, Rashford caused a similar reaction when barrelling in and rounding Ortega, the effort, from an angle on the right, missing.
In City’s last home match McAtee scored – against Crystal Palace – while spurning several chances and a further miss when Nico O’Reilly delivered from the left again suggested he may not be as lethal as required. Towards the end Marmoush put the ball in the net but was rightly ruled offside. Next came Nunes’s priceless moment of glory.
“I am overall proud of everything we are doing,” Emery said.
