There are notorious examples of Pep Guardiola’s fondness for exaggeration. Since he branded Matheus Nunes among the finest gamers on the planet, again in 2022 and when the Portuguese performed for Sporting CP, there was treasured little proof to help that assertion. Not too long ago, and extra damningly, Guardiola stated his £50m midfielder was not intelligent sufficient to play within the center for Manchester Metropolis.
However as a makeshift right-back, Nunes could have gone from a waste of cash to a person who earned Metropolis their slice of the Champions League thousands and thousands. He had arrange Nico O’Reilly’s late opener towards Everton on Saturday. He scored Metropolis’s even later winner towards Aston Villa, a 94th-minute decider giving them a four-point lead over rivals for a top-five end. The athleticism that makes Guardiola use Nunes as a full-back was obvious when he powered into the penalty space to transform Jeremy Doku’s low cross. “Matheus has the physicality when he has to run, he is ready to do it,” stated Guardiola. Nunes’ reputation within the dressing room was not the one purpose why the celebrations had been so emphatic. This might resolve their destiny.
It won’t show Metropolis’s most celebrated 94th-minute aim right here; not when Sergio Aguero’s title decider towards QPR is factored in. Nor, certainly, their favorite winner towards Villa, given Ilkay Gundogan’s 2022 heroics. And but the significance might scarcely be underestimated. “Excellent timing,” stated Nunes. Not for Villa, so near a primary level on the Etihad since 2007. “To lose like that on that final motion is so irritating,” stated Youri Tielemans. The anguish of Unai Emery instructed a story; so, too, the reduction of Guardiola, who had lower a pissed off determine for a lot of the night time. “The season has been actually unhealthy,” he stated. “We’ve plenty of stress for the membership to go to the Champions League.”
Pressure was relieved, aided by one of his decisions. He left Phil Foden on the bench when bringing on Doku to run at Villa’s replacement right-back Axel Disasi and Nunes benefited. “Jeremy always gives you something,” Guardiola rationalised. “Jeremy is the best player in the world in the first five metres.”
Once again, he had called one of his 2023 recruits among the finest on the planet. City’s recruitment after winning the treble has long seemed far from ideal and looked a reason for their regression. Yet two of the men signed two years ago combined. Doku and Nunes amounted to more than £100m between them. They reshaped the race for the last three Champions League spots, sending City third, keeping Villa seventh. With four games to go and similar run-ins, it will be hard for them to overhaul City now. And yet their 15th successive league defeat at the Etihad Stadium came when their manager had the ambition to get a winner. “I wouldn’t have been happy with one point,” said Emery, who ended up with none and felt his own attacking substitutions contributed to the late drama.
There was early drama, too, and not merely because Bernardo Silva struck in the seventh minute, finishing from Omar Marmoush’s cutback. If Villa could rue the late goal, they should regret the early one, Emi Martinez only pushing the Portuguese’s shot into the net when he should have saved it.
Yet the breakthrough could have come still sooner. In between, much of the match revolved around a man returning to Manchester. Marcus Rashford scored from the spot, nearly made a extra explosive influence on his return to his residence city by hitting the woodwork inside 20 seconds and, after troubling Paris Saint-Germain final week, posed Metropolis issues. His capability to burst in behind their defence and evident sharpness confirmed what Manchester United have been missing of their assault.
Emery had benched Ollie Watkins, regardless of Saturday’s star flip towards Newcastle, to recall Rashford. He promptly struck the submit after a go from Youri Tielemans. His fourth Premier League aim on the Etihad was a coolly transformed penalty. There was nearly a fifth, Rashford rounding Stefan Ortega within the second half however discovering the aspect netting from an acute angle. “I’m so, so proud of him,” stated Emery. “He’s performing very properly.” Rashford had tormented Paris Saint-Germain and troubled Metropolis. With a willingness to run in behind their defence, his sharpness was evident on his return to Manchester. The thought occurred that Manchester United might have benefited from such a ahead.
Rashford’s aim was extra controversial than it wanted to be. Ruben Dias clipped Jacob Ramsey in a high-speed collision as they ran in differing instructions. Referee Craig Pawson reviewed in on the monitor earlier than awarding the penalty. Guardiola was booked for disputing an accurate determination.
As two element obsessives confirmed their idiosyncrasies on the touchline, he couldn’t disguise his irritation whereas Emery, like a very animated mime artist, labored his approach by quite a lot of gestures.
Source link