Man City have something they've been missing this season as crunch time nears

Matheus Nunes’s late strike saw Manchester City secure a huge 2-1 victory over Aston Villa and has helped carry on their momentum as they aim to secure a place in next season's Champions League.

City’s late goal meant they jumped up to third in the table, four points in front of Chelsea in sixth, putting them on course to secure a place in the top five.

The nature of City's recent wins have been almost as important as the points they have gained from them, with late winners against Everton and Villa handing the team a huge boost.

This is the first time since October that City have won three league games in succession. After a difficult season, the Blues are beginning to hit their stride at just the right time.

Along with the arrival of Omar Marmoush, academy graduates Nico O’Reilly and James McAtee have added a spark to City’s attack.

Since O’Reilly made his first Premier League start against Leicester, Pep Guardiola's side have won four of their five league games. The youngster has provided a more attacking option at left back, scoring two in his last three games.

McAtee has also been a breath of fresh air in the first team, adding the pace that was lacking from City's frontline earlier in the season.

Guardiola clearly understood the importance of keeping up momentum and beating Villa on Wednesday night.

“Make no mistake, this win was big. You don't have to be a scientist to realise that we were playing against Aston Villa, one of the best teams, as you saw against Newcastle and PSG," said Guardiola.

"They are an extraordinary team, but we performed as we did in the past with the commitment.

"Qualification for the Champions League is important, of course, but sometimes we have to be calm. We must focus on the semi-final