Enzo Maresca was reminded of just how much Matheus Nunes matters to Manchester City at Villa Park, with the numbers backing up what the eye test suggested on Saturday.
It is still early days for Maresca at the Etihad Stadium, but the defeat to Aston Villa felt like another useful addition to the catalogue of evidence. Taken with the Paris Saint-Germain match two weeks ago and City’s other wins, there are some trends starting to emerge.
The obvious talking point among supporters at full-time was the absence of Ayyoub Bouaddi, either from the start or when a change was made at half-time. The less obvious one is at right-back, where Matheus Nunes was missed. We covered the latest injury list after the game.
Matheus Nunes and the midfield question
The jury remains out on playing Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Rayan Cherki together in midfield against the best sides. City were so much better against PSG when Bouaddi came on.
That trio worked fine in a 3-0 win against Liverpool, though. Even with Cherki taken off at half-time at Manchester United, the team was made even more attacking and still picked up a victory with 10 men. We explained why Maresca made his half-time changes at Villa Park, and Villa were able to play through City too easily on Saturday. It still feels too soon for definitive calls on the makeup of the midfield.
The defensive evidence is far stronger.
Why Matheus Nunes is the most reliable right-back at Man City
Abdukodir Khusanov and Rico Lewis both saw plenty of the ball in that position, but neither of them can bring to the team what Nunes can. He fought against the role for months and can still make errors, given he is a midfielder by trade. Even so, he has turned himself into one of the best full-backs in the league.
A tough atmosphere and a Villa team with power and pace is exactly the sort of game where City feel significantly weaker without him. Not for the first time, either. City’s worst week of last season, with limp defeats at Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt, came when Nunes was injured.
Matheus Nunes Man City record: the numbers
The record with and without him since the start of the 2025/26 campaign is remarkable.
| Since the start of 2025/26 | With Nunes starting | Without Nunes |
|---|---|---|
| Games played | 50 | 23 |
| Games lost | 4 (8%) | 9 (39%) |
| Win rate | 76% | 52% |
That works out at roughly three wins in every four matches with the Portugal star in the team. Take him out and City have lost 9 out of 23, and for every four games played they pick up at least another three points when Nunes plays.
It is not solely down to one player, and it is exactly a year since Nunes started in a 1-0 defeat at Villa Park. But there is more evidence this season that, however Maresca feels about his full-backs and what he wants from them, Nunes is the most reliable option when available.
Author opinion
His 100 per cent record when starting this season includes victories at Porto, United and Liverpool, while the team were better for his introduction in the second half against PSG and his absence was felt against Villa. If Maresca did not know already, Nunes has become even more valuable to this City team, and keeping him fit for the run-in looks as important as any signing.
