Man City took a huge step towards Champions League qualification when Jeremy Doku came off the bench to set up Matheus Nunes’ 94th minute winner in the 2-1 victory against Aston Villa on Tuesday night.
The decision to bring on Belgium winger Doku proved an inspired move for Man City manager Pep Guardiola. It was a substitution from his counterpart — Villa boss Unai Emery — however, which led to an altogether different reaction from one of his own players, Ross Barkley.
Man City took a seventh-minute lead through Bernardo Silva before Marcus Rashford levelled for the visitors from the spot.
As the tension built in the final minutes a crucial match in the battle for European qualification, Emery had already turned to his bench twice — firstly to bring on Axel Disasi and John McGinn and then turning to Marco Asensio and Ollie Watkins.
With four minutes remaining of the 90 minutes, Emery rolled the dice for a final time and asked Netherlands forward Donyell Malen to replace Morgan Rogers.
Fans spotted a wide-eyed Barkley’s reaction to his manager’s decision. The midfielder, who has been capped by England 33 times, looked shocked as he shook his head from the substitutes’ bench.
Ross Barkley looks on in shock as Unai Emery makes his final substitution decision on Tuesday
Emery brought on five different players from the bench but Aston Villa couldn’t find a winner
Malen had already made a goalscoring impact from the bench for Villa twice this month, against Brighton and Southampton but was unable to repeat the trick at the Etihad Stadium.
Barkley has not started a game for the club for three months having been sidelined by a knee ligament injury he picked up in January 10’s FA Cup third-round win over West Ham.
The 31-year-old’s game time since then has been limited to two late substitute appearances this month — against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle.
Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Jeremy Doku before the Belgian’s match-winning impact
Matheus Nunes is on hand to turn in Doku’s excellent cross to score Man City vital winner
The result moves Man City up to third place in the Premier League table while Villa remain in seventh, two points off the final Champions League spot of fifth and having played a game more than their rivals.
Villa will have the chance to put Tuesday night’s disappointment behind them when they travel to Wembley to face Crystal Palace in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.
Guardiola’s Man City face Nottingham Forest the following day in the other semi-final match.
