Football is full of ups and downs, and Manchester City is a prime example of this reality. The team, accustomed to celebrating major victories in important competitions, went wild with joy after a crucial win on Tuesday, securing their place in the Champions League qualification zone.

For a team built to compete for all titles until the end of the season, missing out on the Champions League is unacceptable. City must be among the best in the world. The match against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium was not easy and nearly turned into a nightmare. City took an early lead through Bernardo Silva, but a controversial penalty converted by Marcus Rashford in the 20th minute leveled the game.

Wild Celebrations
The second half was tougher, and it seemed the game would end in a draw, which wouldn’t suffice for either team. But in the dying moments of added time, Jérémy Doku delivered a brilliant cross that Matheus Nunes converted into the winning goal, sending the stadium into euphoria.
This victory moved Manchester City to third place in the Premier League, almost guaranteeing their Champions League spot for next season. With four games remaining, City is in a strong position.

Nunes’ Transformation
The irony is that the winning goal was scored by a player Guardiola had criticized weeks earlier. The Catalan coach had said Nunes wasn’t suited to play in midfield: “I don’t think he’s smart enough to play in midfield. He lacks the composure.”

Nunes joined City in the summer of 2023 after impressive performances for Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Guardiola never saw him as a midfielder, often using him as a right-back. Guardiola said: “He has incredible abilities and is learning. With his physique, he can be a good right-back.”

Now, football has turned Nunes into City and Guardiola’s savior. Maybe he lacks the intelligence Guardiola mentioned for midfield, but as a right-back, he has performed well and scored what could be City’s most important goal of the season.