Pep Guardiola sends Denzel Dunfries message to Hugo Viana with Matheus Nunes admission | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for makeshift right-back Matheus Nunes after Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

Over two years on from his £53 million arrival from Wolves as a midfielder, Nunes is enjoying his best season at the Etihad Stadium and has established himself as Manchester City’s first-choice right-back following Kyle Walker’s permanent move to Burnley in the summer.

Nunes has been a regular starter for City this term and despite having the odd error in him, the 27-year-old has gone from strength to strength in solidifying himself as a regular starter under Guardiola, who has previously deemed the Portugal international ‘not good enough’ to operate in midfield for the Blues.

The Portugal international was at his resolute best against Crystal Palace as Manchester City hung on against Oliver Glasner’s dangerous side and capitalised on their chances to secure a hard-fought 3-0 win in south London to keep up the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Nunes has a gem of a right foot and his sorcery was on show at Selhurst Park on Sunday as he produced a mouth-watering cross for Erling Haaland to head Manchester City into the lead from the visitors’ first effort on target against Dean Henderson on the stroke of half-time.

Guardiola lauded Nunes after City earned their fourth successive Premier League win and capped off an incredible week wherein they secured their most important win of 2025 – a comeback UEFA Champions League triumph over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Matheus (Nunes) is growing every time. He’s becoming an incredible full-back, incredible. He’s a top, top player. His cross (to Erling Haaland) was fantastic,” Guardiola said in a post-match interview with BBC Match of the Day.

“At the end, Matheus is a midfield player. And when you’re a midfield player, you have quality to deliver these kind of situations. And he’s adapting his pace in the line, helping a lot Ruben (Dias). The cross is really good!”

No one on this planet truly knows what goes on in Guardiola’s brain as the Catalan went on to seemingly renege on his stance on Nunes’ competence in midfield, suggesting that the Portuguese can line up in the middle of the park for Manchester City should he keep learning and improving.

Guardiola added: “He (Nunes) can play in the middle, he should learn. Composure with the ball, always he can improve – but he’s young – he’s not old! He has a special physicality; that’s why we hired him from Wolves. He has a different pace that we didn’t have in that moment, and we don’t have. He can play in a few positions.”

Speaking to Manchester City’s official channels after the win, Nunes said: “It’s lovely to always not concede a goal. Now, as a defender, I feel like the defenders. So it’s always very important. And hopefully we can carry on like this.”

Nunes is in the best form he has shown in Manchester and Guardiola will be very keen for the former Wolves man to keep it up as Manchester City progress deeper into the season and look to challenge for silverware on all fronts, with little need at the minute for the acquisition of an out-and-out right-back in the 2026 January transfer window.