In the tussle for a Champions League berth Matheus Nunes’s added-time winner sent Manchester City delirious, shattered Aston Villa, and disappointed Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Chelsea in the race for the top five.
Jérémy Doku’s slicing cross from the left was hammered in by the right-back and at the final whistle City contemplated their last four outings of Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Fulham, a run that, following this victory, surely makes them favourites to secure European Cup football next season.
Until Nunes late, late intervention, Marcus Rashford, chosen at No 9 by Unai Emery, was the star turn, scoring Villa’s goal – from the spot – as he menaced City’s backline until his removal on 75 minutes.
A very short 17 seconds were all Villa needed to splay City and cause Pep Guardiola to despair. 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 off the base of Stefan Ortega’s left post and the game was still scoreless.
Not for long. City have lacked speed this term – in thought and execution – but this was exactly 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.
Rashford’s United connection meant he was booed each time he took possession 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 an obvious one so there was scant surprise when the video assistant referee, John Brooks, sent Pawson to the monitor. To Guardiola’s fury the referee now gave the penalty and Rashford, via a slow boot-shuffle, fooled Ortega and rolled the ball in to the goalkeeper’s left.
Guardiola was booked for the rage directed at the assistant referee – 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. A player still on United’s books had scored the equaliser, City felt swindled (wrongly), and Pawson fielded jeers each time he failed to give home side what their fans wished for: basically, every decision.
Martínez’s self-proclaimed “all powerful” on-field persona nearly took another battering moments later. A poor clearing kick from the Argentinian went straight to Silva, who headed it back into the area for Marmoush to take aim. But the keeper rushed out and smothered the ball, so he and Villa escaped.
Rashford, in for Ollie Watkins as one of five Emery changes, was near unplayable. After Lucas Digne was found on the left, the Villa No 9 fashioned a sprint that kept him onside, shredded City’s rearguard. But a clumsy touch, an achilles heel for Rashford, followed and an attempted dink above the advancing Ortega was fluffed .
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 factor of the fresh personnel. Ignoring more derision from the home faithful, the 27-year-old arrowed in a corner from the left: Amadou Onana rose to head it and would have given Villa the lead but for a block.
The point each team was headed for was not the best in the hunt for Champions League qualification, so a Morgan Rogers burst forward tried to wrest the contest his side’s way. The Villa forward went down under Josko Gvardiol’s attentions, but Pawson was not interested.
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On show was a bout between two foes who parried, jabbed and counterpunched so, now, City did the latter, launching a raid that won a free-kick and pushing 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.
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Guardiola spoke of McAtee, who was City’s nominal No 9, having special qualities they needed tonight. When De Bruyne passed to him and he took aim, here was a chance to show off his finishing – but while the lob over Martínez was audacious, it flew wide. 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 missing.
In City’s last home game 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 netted but was ruled offside. Next came Nunes’ priceless moment of glory.