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Zack Steffen Almost Gets Clean Sheet for City in League Debut

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With Manchester City No. 1 Ederson currently isolating due to COVID protocols, City’s No. 2, Zack Steffen, got the call today in between the sticks. It was the Premier League debut for the 25-year-old American who came oh so close to accomplishing a clean sheet.

It would have matched the clean sheet he accomplished in his Champions League debut. Steffen, in his fifth appearance with the club, didn’t really have to do a whole lot, as his teammates in front of him really took care of business.

zack steffen

City’s defenders had Chelsea’s high-priced attackers in their pockets, and the Sky Blues looked like the title winning teams we’ve seen in recent years.

Chelsea only managed two shots on goal, and their total number of shots was in the single digits. The end result was a 3-1 win in which City started dominating right out of the gates, and never looked back.

Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne put City up 3-0 at half. The Blues got only a meaningless goal two minutes into stoppage time, and that kept the American from his shutout.

Steffen, acquired two years ago, but spent last season on loan with Fortuna Dusseldorf, becomes the eighth yank to play goalkeeper in the Premier League.

The rest are listed below:

 

Ederson was one of six players out for City today, as the team has recently suffered a COVID-19 outbreak within the squad. Given isolation protocols and standards, it is rather likely that Zack Steffen could be back in goal on Wednesday, for the Manchester Derby EFL Cup semifinal.

Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of  “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.