Pep Guardiola admitted that his animated celebration following Matheus Nunes’s stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa felt unusual, noting that Manchester City rarely score late goals compared to their Premier League rivals.

Nunes sealed a vital 2-1 win for City in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, firing home from a tight angle to secure all three points against a top-five contender.

Guardiola erupted in a passionate display of relief and triumph—complete with fist pumps and a primal roar—highlighting the importance of the result, which spared City from a potentially costly setback in their push for Champions League qualification.

With just four games remaining in what has been a turbulent Premier League campaign, Manchester City now hold their Champions League destiny in their own hands—thanks to a rare moment of last-minute triumph.

“We’re not used to it. That kind of thing is more Liverpool’s trademark—how many late winners have they scored under Jurgen [Klopp]? And Arsenal with Mikel [Arteta] too,” Guardiola admitted. “It’s not something we experience often, so I’m really, really happy.”

Reflecting on the emotional high of the dramatic win, the City boss added, “Football is all about emotion. For the fans, the players—there’s a lot of pressure on the club to secure a Champions League spot.”

“The players have been incredible. We’re very pleased with their commitment,” Guardiola said. “Now, with just four games left, we’re still in the race for Champions League qualification.”

Matheus Nunes netted his first league goal for City to seal the dramatic win, after Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford had converted a contentious penalty that cancelled out Bernardo Silva’s early strike.

Guardiola received a booking for angrily confronting the fourth official, following a VAR review that led to the penalty being awarded after Ruben Dias made contact with Jacob Ramsey.

Despite the controversy, City managed to salvage a rare high point in what has been a challenging season—one that will see them relinquish the Premier League title they’ve held for four consecutive years.

– ‘The season has been bad’ –

RELATED NEWS

Given the challenges of the current campaign, Guardiola acknowledged that securing a top-five finish would be a satisfying outcome.

“In the circumstances, yes, I’ll be happy with a top-five spot,” he said.

Speaking after the hard-fought win, the City boss praised both the performance and the opposition: “Aston Villa are a complete side—every player gives everything. They’re one of the top teams in Europe. But we played really well. We were aggressive in our duels, and the back four was unbelievable.”

“In football, disappointment is part of the job—you have to live with it,” Guardiola reflected. “But the performance was strong, and we managed to get the result. The season overall has been tough. The truth is, it’s the Premier League that still gives us something to feel good about.”

Aston Villa, now seventh on the table, sit two points outside the top five with just four matches remaining—a tough position following their painful Champions League quarter-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain last week.

Villa boss Unai Emery urged his players to regroup quickly ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final clash against Crystal Palace at Wembley. “We can’t dwell on this. Yes, we lost in the final minute, but we competed well and were close to getting a draw,” he said.

“Over 90 minutes Man City dominated more, but we played a good competitive match.

“We can’t waste time now, we have to keep going. We want to try keep the level that we’re achieving and try to be demanding in our way so we can build us stronger in everything.

“Tomorrow, rest. Thursday and Friday, positive and work hard to prepare for the game against Crystal Palace.”

AFP