Manchester City’s Premier League trophy is Champions League qualification admits Matheus Nunes | OneFootball

Matheus Nunes has admitted that qualification for the Champions League is the equivalent of winning the Premier League for Manchester City this season.

The Portuguese international, who has found a new lease of life as a right-back under Pep Guardiola this season, scored a vital winning goal on Tuesday night to secure all three points for City against fellow top-five challengers Aston Villa.

In a closely fought contest, it was a matter of fine margins that made the difference in the end as Bernardo Silva’s first-half strike was cancelled out through Marcus Rashford after he was handed the opportunity from 12-yards following a controversial penalty decision.

That victory moves Manchester City up to third in the Premier League table, albeit with the likes of Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United having played a game less following the Etihad Stadium encounter.

Speaking to reporters after Manchester City’s dramatic 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night, Matheus Nunes was keen to insist that while the club’s standards are “much higher” than their current position, finishing in the top-five would feel like a major trophy to the team.

“The club’s standards are much higher than this. We know these are not the standards we want this club to be at. Especially for the guys that have been here longer, they’re always used to win and to fight for the title. But this is our reality and we have to accept it,” said Nunes.

The Portugal international continued, “And we just have to go for it like it’s the Champions League, the Premier League trophy. This is a journey, it’s a rollercoaster and you have to be prepared for it.

“We now have a different aim than we had in the beginning of the season. The Champions League has to be our goal now and we’re going to go for it.”

As part of his post-match discussions with reporters, Nunes also admitted that he does not watch football away from the relentless nature of his profession as he said, “I don’t really watch football. I just don’t watch football.

“It’s just because our daily routine is just full of football. You know, it’s the same as if you work in a computer and you’re going home, you don’t want to go for the computer.”

And whether his winning strike against Aston Villa on Tuesday night was his best moment in a Manchester City shirt to date, Nunes offered a similarly confident response, “No. Winning the Premier League! Winning the Premier League was better than this.”

Next up for Manchester City is an FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon, in what will be the final shot at receiving major silverware in the weeks that remain for Pep Guardiola and his players.

Should they manage to record victory over an ever-impressive Nuno Espirito Santo-led side, then Manchester City will take on either Crystal Palace or Aston Villa in the showpiece final in the capital next month.