Daijiworld Media Network - Manchester

Manchester, Apr 23: Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans expressed deep frustration after his side succumbed to a 94th-minute goal, falling 2-1 to Manchester City in a nail-biting Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium early Wednesday (IST).

Portuguese international Matheus Nunes, deployed as a makeshift full-back, netted the winner deep into stoppage time, handing Manchester City a dramatic victory and leaving Villa empty-handed after a spirited performance.

The Belgian international believed Villa had done enough to earn at least a point from the contest. “It’s very frustrating to lose in the last minute of the game where we fought really hard,” Tielemans told Villa’s official website. “We blocked pretty much everything other than their goal, their first one. We get the first chance; they get the last one. They score; we don’t. That’s football it’s just really frustrating.”

With only four Premier League fixtures left and a crucial FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley looming on Saturday, Villa’s season hangs in the balance. The defeat leaves them in seventh place, two points adrift of fifth-placed Newcastle United, but the chase for a UEFA Champions League spot is still alive.

Tielemans stressed that the squad remains fully committed to finishing strong. “We’ve got four games in the Premier League left, so we’re just going to give our all, get a good result and be back where we want to be,” he said. “Hopefully, we can be in the Champions League positions.”

“Saturday, we’ve got the semi-final, which we hopefully can win and then we’ll see from there. We’re now fully focused on that. We’re just disappointed for tonight and we just have to analyse and see where we can be better,” he added.

Villa’s upcoming league fixtures against Fulham, Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will be decisive in determining their European ambitions.