Matheus Nunes scored his first Manchester City goal to help edge Pep Guardiola’s side into the EFL Cup third round with victory over Championship side Watford.
On a night when 16-year-old Kaden Braithwaite became the third-youngest player to start a game for City, and the youngest under Guardiola, Nunes followed up Jeremy Doku’s fifth-minute opener with a precise first-half finish.
A £53m signing from Wolves just over a year ago, Nunes has not made the impact envisaged.
The Portugal international started just seven times last season and so far this term has been limited to just 20 minutes’ Premier League action across three substitute appearances.
But Guardiola has not discarded Nunes in the same way he exiled another expensive midfield purchase, Kalvin Phillips, and just two days after the pulsating draw with Arsenal he stepped into the breach with an eye-catching display.
In addition to his goal, a low shot from the edge of the area that found the bottom corner, he also had a well-hit second-half shot saved by Watford keeper Jonathan Bond and had another goal-bound effort blocked.
Doku was one of two City starters who kept their place from the Arsenal encounter and he profited from Ryan Porteous’ poor early backpass that allowed James McAtee to steal possession away from Bond. As the ball was recycled to the edge of the area, the Belgian applied the finish.
It helped condemn Watford to a 16th straight defeat against City, although given they had conceded 26 times in their past five losses alone, this could be regarded as a moral victory for Tom Cleverley’s side, with Tom Ince giving them hope of taking the game to penalties with what turned out to be an 86th-minute consolation.