In the tight Champions League race, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, gave a shout-out to Liverpool right after his team’s last-minute win against Aston Villa.
Matheus Nunes scored a late winner in second-half stoppage time, thanks to a superb assist from Jeremy Doku. Guardiola felt the moment was reminiscent of Liverpool’s usual style.
“We are not used to it!” Guardiola said on Sky Sports. “The last-minute win belongs to Liverpool. We are not used to it so I am really happy. We are in the last four games, and we know Champions League contenders like Aston Villa; they are one of the top teams in Europe.
“We played very good. Aggressive in our duels and back four were unbelievable. Really pleased. Football is emotional. The last two games were so difficult so we are really pleased. I was so happy. I have to admit it! Try to not lose as 1-1 was not a bad result but the action from Jeremy [Doku] was so good.
“The team fought a lot. The performance was really good. It is a fantastic team. The season has been bad. It doesn’t matter about the final or if we finish in the Champions League. What makes you feel good is the Premier League. It happened and sometimes you have bad seasons. Liverpool will be champions, and the level of teams is outstanding.”
By overtaking Nottingham Forest, Manchester City now sits in third position in the Premier League. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team trails Guardiola’s by a single point; Guardiola’s team has 61. Trailing by a single point in fifth position is Newcastle United.