Manager Pep Guardiola was overjoyed. Manchester City achieved a dramatic victory at home, keeping their hopes alive for next season's UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualification.
On the 23rd (Korean time), Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League (PL) Round 34 for the 2024-2025 season at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England.
The match was a six-point big match with a UCL ticket at stake. With this victory, Manchester City recorded 61 points (18 wins, 7 draws, 9 losses) and jumped to 3rd place in the league. Meanwhile, Aston Villa, unfortunately on their knees, remained at 57 points (16 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses), placing 7th. This season's PL grants UCL qualification to the top five teams.
Manchester City started with a 4-1-4-1 formation. Kevin De Bruyne, Omar Marmoush, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, James McAtee, Mateo Kovacic, Matt O'Reilly, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Mateus Nunes, and Stefan Ortega were listed in the starting lineup.
Aston Villa faced off with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Marcus Rashford, Jacob Ramsey, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, Luca Digne, Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, Matt Cash, and Emiliano Martinez were the starters.
The goalpost denied Villa's lightning-fast opening goal. Less than 30 seconds after the starting whistle, Rashford shook up the defense with a dribble and fired a quick shot. However, the ball hit the right goalpost and came out.
After overcoming the crisis, Manchester City took the lead first. In the 7th minute of the first half, Marmoush broke through the left side of the box and delivered a cutback pass. The ball deflected off a defender, but Silva, rushing in, precisely pushed it in to make it 1-0.
Villa brought the game back to even. In the 15th minute of the first half, Dias fouled Ramsey inside the box, and after a video review (VAR), a penalty kick was awarded. Rashford calmly finished to score the equalizer.
Both teams engaged in fierce exchanges. In the 26th minute of the first half, Kovacic's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, and in the 39th minute, Rashford's shot also failed to get past Ortega. The first half ended at 1-1.
In the second half, Manchester City pressed the attack. Villa focused on dropping back their line and not conceding while looking for counterattack opportunities. In the 15th minute of the second half, McAtee aimed for the goal with an upfront shot, but it veered wide.
Villa experienced disappointment. In the 18th minute of the second half, Rashford utilized his speed to slip behind the defensive line and evaded the onrushing goalkeeper. He attempted a shot from a tight angle but hit the side netting.
Both teams utilized their substitutes as they needed the three points. Manchester City brought on Jeremy Doku in the 29th minute of the second half to inject energy into the wings. Villa also sent in Marco Asensio and Ollie Watkins in the 31st minute of the second half, launching an all-out effort. It was a substitution showing their determination for a goal.
Manchester City finally scored a dramatic goal. In the 4th minute of stoppage time, Doku exploded into action with an explosive dribble down the left side and sent a ground cross to the opposite side. Nunes finished it off to net his PL debut goal. The match concluded with Manchester City's thrilling and dramatic victory.
With this, Manchester City secured 3rd place with 61 points, gaining a favorable position in the intense UCL qualification battle. However, it is still early to relax. They are being chased by 4th placed Nottingham (60 points), 5th placed Newcastle (59 points), and 6th placed Chelsea (57 points), all having played one fewer match. Manchester City needs to earn as many points as possible in the remaining 4 matches.
Nunes, who scored his first PL goal at a crucial moment, expressed his feelings after the match in an interview with Sky Sports, saying, "It was a very important match, and it was a very tough game. The opponent was very strong, and we approached it with the mindset that we had to win." He added, "It's perfect timing. There's no better time for my first goal to come. Every three points will be very important until the end of the season."
Coach Guardiola could not hide his joy. Jumping with happiness, he said, "I am really happy. We have been in the top four in the last five games and are contenders for UCL qualification. We played really well. We were aggressive in our contests, and the back four was incredible. The players acted remarkably well. I am truly pleased."
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