Ed boy plays key role after final nod

EDERSON played a key role in City’s win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final – but not the one Pep Guardiola expected him to have.

One of the manager’s biggest selection decisions for Sunday’s game was whether or not to keep faith with young goalkeeper Aro Muric.

Originally sent to NAC Breda for the year but recalled after Claudio Bravo’s serious injury, Muric had kept four clean sheets in five games on the road to the final, including a tremendous performance in a penalty shootout at Leicester.

There weren’t many eyebrows raised when Ederson was named in the starting line-up for the final, but City’s coach revealed after the game that he had picked the club No.1 for a game plan that Chelsea did not actually carry out.

“It was a tough decision to leave Muric out after what happened at Leicester with the penalties, but normally Chelsea do that high pressing so you have to use your keeper more than usual and Eddy is phenomenal in this kind of action,” he said.

“In the end, it didn’t happen too much, but he gave us confidence in the penalties.”

Ederson went on to save the first penalty of the shootout from former City target Jorginho, handing the Blues an instant advantage.

And while Leroy Sane’s miss levelled things up, David Luiz hit the post to allow Raheem Sterling to win it for City.