Danny Murphy says Manchester City have someone who can do things on the pitch that no one else can.
The Blues are just one game away from winning a domestic double after sealing the Premier League title last weekend.
On Saturday, they will face off against Manchester United in the FA Cup final for a second year in a row to see if they can end their latest season on another high.
Now though, a pundit and former top-flight player has highlighted one area of City’s team and one player in particular who plays a unique role in how Pep Guardiola’s side operates.
Murphy no one can do what Ederson does for Man City
Speaking on talkSPORT, Murphy had this to say about Ederson and what he offers City that other goalkeepers can’t for their teams.
He said: “People miss a trick here with the goalie as well. He’s the best in the world at [knowing] when to play safe and give it to the back players when a team has dropped off, or when to play through the lines.
“Ederson will play through-balls like a central-midfielder. He’ll play through the forwards, if the midfielders press he’ll dink the ball [forward].
“City have this attribute, weapon, that nobody else has. Nobody is anywhere near Ederson as a footballing goalkeeper.”
Ederson’s distribution has been crucial for City
Since joining the Manchester club back in the 2017 summer transfer window from Benfica in a deal worth £35m, the goalkeeper has made 332 appearances in all competitions.
Across those games, the Brazilian, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £100k-a-week, has kept 115 clean sheets along the way.
In terms of his distribution, as Murphy spoke about, Ederson accurately completed 114 of the 246 passes he attempted that were longer than 40 years, leaving him with an accuracy percentage of 46.3%, the highest in the entire division.
With Guardiola previously describing the 30-year-old’s distribution as the best he’s ever seen, this further highlights how useful the Brazil international is for his side and the way they’re able to play against opposition sides.
