A surprise substitution gave Manchester City the edge they needed to snatch all three points in dramatic fashion. In a tightly contested clash with Champions League implications, Aston Villa fell 2-1 to City after conceding a last-minute goal, and former Premier League boss Tim Sherwood thinks a key decision from Unai Emery played a big part in that outcome. Manchester City’s 94th-minute winner lifted them up to third in the Premier League standings, while Villa slipped to seventh, now needing other teams to slip up if they’re going to secure a return to the Champions League. What looked like a fair share of points after early goals from Bernardo Silva and Marcus Rashford turned into heartbreak for Villa, all thanks to some bold substitutions late in the game. Manchester City’s Late Winner.
Unai Emery’s call to take off right-back Matty Cash in the 61st minute and bring on Axel Disasi raised eyebrows, especially with Pep Guardiola introducing the quick and tricky Jeremy Doku just moments later. In the final minutes, that move proved costly. Doku danced past Disasi with ease and whipped in a cross to Matheus Nunes, who calmly tucked away the winner at the back post. Manchester City’s Late Winner.
Tim Sherwood, speaking on Optus Sport’s The Run In, didn’t hold back in his analysis. “I’ve praised both Emery and Guardiola before,” Sherwood said, “but Unai got this one wrong. The moment I saw Disasi coming on, I knew Doku would come on and go after him. That’s where the game was won.”
Sherwood wasn’t just making a general observation either he pointed out that Disasi has a history of errors and felt that this wasn’t the moment to trust him in such a tight situation. “Disasi can’t fish there. He’s made these kinds of mistakes too many times,” Sherwood added. “Matty Cash wasn’t doing anything wrong. I really don’t understand why Emery made that switch.”
With the Premier League drama in the books, both teams now look ahead to the FA Cup semi-finals. Aston Villa are set to face Crystal Palace on Sunday (2:15am AEST), while Manchester City take on Nottingham Forest on Monday (1:30am AEST). Catch both matches live and exclusive on Optus Sport if you’re in Australia.
