Boss stands by Ed after derby howler
GUARDIOLA HAILS ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ KEEPER DESPITE GOAL GIFTS
PEP Guardiola hailed Ederson as ‘an extraordinary keeper’ despite his derby horror show.
The City goalkeeper made two horrendous errors to hand United their first home league victory over the Blues in nearly five years.
The Brazilian allowed an Anthony Martial shot to sneak under his hands for the first and then, late in the game, threw the ball straight to Scott McTominay, who fired it back past him to seal the three points.
Ederson was brought in because he combined good shot-stopping with exceptional footwork, making him an excellent fit for Guardiola’s Blues team, as he often becomes an 11th outfield player.
Both aspects of his game were questioned in the defeat at Old Trafford – but Guardiola wrote it off as part of the game.
“I’m not here to judge my players. He will recover and he is a special talent. He is an extraordinary keeper. Next time he is going to be better,” said the City manager.
“We conceded a goal and we should avoid it. We knew Fernandes sometimes is chipping the ball.” And he made it plain that the keeper retains his faith, with an Etihad Stadium showdown with Real Madrid in the Champions League just nine days away, saying: “He is an extraordinary player in the build-up, the saves. Sometimes it happens. He saved one or two.”
His defence of the keeper was reminiscent of his backing for Claudio Bravo, when the Chilean marked his debut by dropping the ball at the feet of Zlatan Ibrahimovic as City won at Old Trafford in 2016.
On that day, he described Bravo’s debut as one of the best he had seen, even though the keeper had also been lucky to avoid a red card for a rash challenge on Wayne Rooney.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva believes the free-kick which led to United’s opening goal shouldn’t have been awarded.
It is the third time this season the Blues have been beaten by the Reds and this time they weren’t helped by some crucial refereeing decisions.
Sergio Aguero put the ball in the back of the net after being flagged for offside early in the second half, but a VAR review later suggested the Argentine was level, although the decision stood.
There was more controversy in the build-up to Anthony Martial’s opening goal.
The Frenchman volleyed home Bruno Fernandes’ clever free-kick but replays showed that Ilkay Gundogan’s foul on the Portuguese which earned the free-kick was a soft one and Bernardo believes it was clearly not a foul.
“I think from my point of view and from where I was it was clear that it was not a foul,” Bernardo said.
“I don’t know if on the television it looks like a foul or not but the referees – like us, like all the players – they can also make mistakes. It’s football, it is what it is.” Bernardo also said the team must cut out the errors they’re making, with a crucial Champions League clash with Madrid just around the corner.
“We will have to watch the game back and listen to what Pep has to say,” he said. “But a team like ours cannot lose this many games. We need to check what’s not going right and try not to make mistakes.”
I’m not here to judge my players. He will recover and is a special talent
Pep Guardiola on Ederson