Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for his goalkeeper Ederson after they beat Arsenal 1-0 on Saturday. The Citizens emerged as winners thanks to a goal from Raheem Sterling, but it proved to be a very tough game at the Etihad.
The North London club were a threat throughout the entire ninety minutes but the Sky Blues were able to defend their lead thanks in part to the brilliant play of their goalkeeper.
The Brazilian was in great form as he made some important saves to deny the visitors from levelling the score. This was noticed by his manager who made it a point to praise him after the match had ended.
Speaking to the official club website, the Spaniard spoke very highly of his player and the role he played in the win. When asked about Ederson, he said:
“Ederson is an incredible keeper for us. He is fantastic as a professional. He is so good. Good moments and bad moments don’t affect him.”
“He made an incredible two saves from Saka and Aubameyang.”
It was those two saves in particular that prevented the match from going any other way. Apart from this, the Brazilian’s distribution was helpful in building their attacks. Dealing with an attack as dynamic as the North Londoners have is no mean feat.
For City, getting a win was important as it gives them some impetus to get back to the summit of the Premier League. They can now focus on their Champions League clash with Porto with a lot more confidence.
Though Saturday saw the return of a player like Sergio Aguero, it was the reassuring performance between the sticks that would have made the boss happy.
The role the keeper plays in such a system is extremely crucial and the Brazilian performed that to perfection.
Silverware in Europe is a major target for Manchester City, and they would want to start off on the right foot. If they are able to play again like they did against Arsenal, there is every reason to believe they will start their European campaign with a win.
With key players slowly returning to the team after having recovered from their injury woes, it bodes well for the rest of City’s season.