Pep Guardiola acknowledged that his exuberant celebration following Matheus Nunes’s dramatic stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa felt rather unusual, given that Manchester City don’t usually score as many late goals as their Premier League counterparts.
Nunes propelled City to a vital 2-1 triumph
over top-five challengers Villa in the fourth minute of added time at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
In response to Nunes’s composed finish from a tight angle, Guardiola erupted into an ecstatic display of fist-pumping and a primal shout, highlighting the importance of the result.
City found themselves just seconds away from a disappointing outcome in the fight for a Champions League qualification through a top-five finish.
However, now they hold their destiny in their own hands with four matches remaining in a tumultuous league campaign, boosted by an unexpected sense of last-minute triumph.
“We’re not accustomed to it. That’s something Liverpool, in particular, has mastered. Just look at how many late winners they’ve had under Jurgen (Klopp) and Arsenal under Mikel (Arteta). I’m not used to it, so I’m extremely happy,” Guardiola remarked.
“Football is all about emotion. For the fans and players alike, there’s a considerable amount of pressure on the club to secure Champions League qualification.”
“The players performed remarkably well. We’re really pleased. We’ve got four matches left, and we’re in contention for Champions League qualification.”
Nunes’s first league goal for City came after Aston Villa striker Marcus Rashford converted a contentious penalty, cancelling out Bernardo Silva’s earlier strike.
Guardiola received a booking for his heated reaction towards the fourth official after VAR intervened, resulting in a penalty being awarded for Ruben Dias’s contact with Jacob Ramsey.
Yet, as the clock ticked down, City experienced a rare uplifting moment in a challenging season, where they will relinquish the title they had clinched for the previous four years.
‘This season has been tough’
Guardiola will take satisfaction from securing a top-five finish given the circumstances this season.
“Aston Villa is a formidable team, one of the top sides in Europe. However, we played exceptionally well. We were aggressive in our duels, and the back four was outstanding,” he said.
“In football, if you’re in this business, you have to learn to cope with disappointment. The performance was commendable, and we managed to pull it off.”
“This season has been tough. The reality is that what makes you feel good is the Premier League.”
Seventh-placed Villa now find themselves two points off the top five with four matches remaining.
This was a harsh blow after their heart-wrenching exit from the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain last week.
However, boss Unai Emery urged his players to regroup ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
“We can’t afford to dwell on this. We lost in the last minute, but we competed really well. We were close to equalising,” he stated.
“Over the course of 90 minutes, Man City had the upper hand, but we put up a strong, competitive performance.”
“We mustn’t waste any time now. We need to keep moving forward. We aim to maintain the level we’ve reached and focus on building strength in every aspect.”
“Tomorrow, we rest. Then we’ll be positive and work hard on Thursday and Friday to prepare for the game against Crystal Palace.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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