Manchester City have it all to do in the Champions League after Tuesday’s crushing defeat to Real Madrid.
City fans unveiled a banner poking fun at Real Madrid before the game at the Etihad Stadium and it’s fair to say that the required motivation was handed to the La Liga giants.
City were in front with 10 minutes of the first leg remaining. As it’s so often been the case this season, however, Pep Guardiola’s team couldn’t see the game through with Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham scoring late in the piece to deal City a first-leg deficit.
Jack Grealish is now an injury concern for City ahead of this weekend’s trip to Newcastle. He limped off during the defeat and for a number of players it proved to be a frustrating night.
Guardiola made some changes from the narrow win over Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. One of those was goalkeeper Ederson and this is the first season since he came to the club that he’s not necessarily been considered the outstanding number one.
Brad Friedel questions Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson
The Brazilian goalkeeper signed for City for £35 million in 2017. Since then he’s won six Premier League titles, four Carabao Cups, two FA Cups and a Champions League with the Citizens.
He’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has revolutionised goalkeeping when it comes to the distribution attributes that he’s brought to Guardiola’s team.
Brad Friedel spent most of his career in the Premier League and he’s suggested that he’s not actually that good, believing that the fact he plays for Manchester City makes him appear better than he actually is.
He told the It’s Called Soccer podcast: “But is he a good goalkeeper? Yes, of course, Ederson’s a good goalkeeper. But the emphasis is how he plays with his feet out of the back.
“If you put him in a team that just played more longer passes, for instance, people wouldn’t think he’s as good as they do.”
Ederson stats 2024/25
It’s been a largely frustrating season for Ederson by his usual high standards with the 29-cap Brazilian losing his place in the team to Stefan Ortega more recently.
The 31-year-old started the first 12 games for City this season in the Premier League but after a run of three straight defeats in November, he lost his place for the game against Liverpool at Anfield.
| Ederson Premier League Stats 2024/25 | Total |
| Appearances | 15 |
| Passes | 505 |
| Saves | 35 |
| Yellow Cards | 3 |
Since then he’s made just three appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League but has been considered the first-choice custodian for the Champions League campaign.
Friedel’s comments do seem a little odd. Ederson is clearly a good goalkeeper and perhaps his sporadic form this season is merely down to the team struggling in general and the fact that he’s not getting any younger.
The constant chopping and changing of his goalkeeper isn’t really working for Guardiola, however. As a result, he might be better to merely place his faith in one or the other for the remainder of the campaign.
