ED OF THE CLASS
How Manchester City got to No.1 by solving their goalkeeping problem
PEP GUARDIOLA’S team of all-talents have taken the Premier League by storm this season.
But this time last year things looked almost as rosy for Manchester City, only for their title challenge to fade away as the Claudio Bravo goalkeeping experiment failed badly.
With Brazilian keeper Ederson between the sticks in 2017, however, City seem to have solved their problem, while the man himself looks rock-solid with his hands, and a formidable play-starter with the ball at his feet. Check out his amazing statistics inside.
MANCHESTER CITY keeper Ederson is top of the Premier League – and the No.1 goalkeeper in the top flight.
Ederson, a £34.9million summer signing from Benfica, has underpinned City’s excellent form this season with his ability to play out from the back in accordance with Blues’ manager Pep Guardiola’s philosophy.
Statistics from EA Sports show the Brazil keeper has a pass completion rate of 84 per cent – the best of any keeper in the Premier League this season and 15 per cent more than his closest rival, Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet.
And Ederson, 24, has made more short passes than any other keeper in the top-flight, 71 per cent, compared to 49 per cent from Mignolet, the closest to him again.
“I’ve been impressed a lot by him – and not just the way he has adapted to England,” said Guardiola.
“When you buy a player from another country, in the first moments you wonder how he’s going to react and settle – his family, the house, kids and school.
“It’s a process and sometimes it’s not easy for players.
“But he has settled really well and he’s so calm.
“In bad moments and good moments, he always has the same behaviour, and that gives us a lot of confidence.”