Matheus Nunes delivered a dramatic late winner as Manchester City edged Aston Villa 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, boosting their chances of securing a top-five Premier League finish. The victory propels City to third place in the table with 61 points, providing a crucial lift as the season enters its decisive stages.

City started the match on the back foot when Marcus Rashford struck the post for Villa within the first 18 seconds, a warning sign that Villa intended to take the game to the hosts. However, it was City who struck first. In the seventh minute, Omar Marmoush sprinted down the left flank and squared a perfect ball for Bernardo Silva, whose shot squeezed past Emiliano Martínez to give City an early advantage.

Aston Villa responded swiftly, with Rashford making amends for his earlier miss. After a VAR check confirmed Rúben Dias had fouled Jacob Ramsey in the box, Rashford confidently dispatched the resulting penalty in the 18th minute, sending Stefan Ortega the wrong way and leveling the contest.

The second half saw both teams push for a winner. City’s James McAtee came close with a lobbed effort, while Marmoush had a goal ruled out for offside. Just as it seemed the points would be shared, substitute Jérémy Doku made a brilliant run down the right wing in the fourth minute of stoppage time. His low cross found Nunes, who finished expertly with the outside of his boot to secure all three points for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The win extends Manchester City's dominance over Aston Villa at the Etihad, marking their 16th consecutive home victory against the Birmingham club. The result also puts City one point ahead of Nottingham Forest and two clear of Newcastle United, although both rivals have a game in hand. Aston Villa, meanwhile, remain seventh with 57 points, two points behind Chelsea.

Pep Guardiola praised his side’s resilience after the match. "The players showed great character to keep pushing until the end," he said. "This was a crucial win for our ambitions, and we’ll need to keep this intensity in the games ahead."

With key fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, Bournemouth, and Fulham remaining, Manchester City’s pursuit of a Champions League spot is very much alive. Aston Villa, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back quickly as they prepare for their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.