Progress is evident for Ederson as City fight on four fronts
EDERSON sees no reason City cannot keep winning trophies after easing past United.
The Brazilian stopper picked up Premier League and Carabao Cup medals in his first season at the club, and was handed a whopping seven-year deal at the end of it.
All the talk over the summer was how on earth the Centurions could improve, and Pep Guardiola was keen to point out that they were going to lose most comparisons with their record-breaking campaign.
However, the Blues are once again setting the standard. They sit top of the Premier League having dropped just four points in their opening 12 games, travel to Leicester or Southampton in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, and need one point from two games to qualify for the Champions League last-16.
Asked if the team have improved on last season, Ederson replied: “Absolutely. Pep’s in his third season here, it’s my second and I can see the team has a deeper understanding of his ideas. If we keep going like this, we can achieve a lot in the future.”
City’s goalkeeper nearly gave United a way back into the derby when he hauled down Romelu Lukaku in the box to allow Anthony Martial to score from the spot.
Ederson, though, did not face a shot on target from open play as the visitors failed to build on their lifeline, and Ilkay Gundogan’s late goal confirmed the superiority of the home team at the Etihad.
Reflecting after the game, Ederson was clear about the gulf between the two teams.
“We did a great game and a deserved win. We were way better than United, if we had pushed more we could have got a larger result. I’m happy with this derby. “I haven’t watched the penalty yet. “I tried to retract my hands but had no time to do that. “There was contact between us but I don’t know if it was enough for a penalty. “It’s a quick decision in a moment of the game. “I tried to hit the ball, it happens. When a goalkeeper makes a mistake, there is no-one to save the goal. “A striker can miss three or four chances and still score the fifth. “It’s different for a goalkeeper.” Ederson