They have players who caress a ball as much as strike one. They have those who are defined by the precision of their passing. They have a man who may prove the greatest goalscorer of his generation.
And so their outstanding spot-kick taker is… the goalkeeper? “He is our best penalty taker,” said Pep Guardiola. “Along with Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne.” Manuel Akanji narrowed it down further. “Ederson is probably the best penalty taker in our team, Erling as well,” the defender said, “When Ederson takes the penalty, I know it is a goal.” Oscar Bobb felt he was in the top one. “I think so,” said the winger. “I haven’t seen Ederson miss so probably, yeah.”
The Community Shield amounted to a triumph of a reluctant remainer. Ederson could have been found in Riyadh or Jeddah rather than Wembley now. Playing for City pays well; playing in Saudi Arabia is still more lucrative. A bid from Al-Nassr was rejected. Al-Ittihad were interested and Ederson too, in swapping the Mancunian rain for the desert of the Middle East, but neither club met City’s asking price and both of his Saudi suitors have since signed other goalkeepers. Now the assumption is that Ederson stays. The start of a new season could have marked City’s first game after the Brazilian; instead, it may be another trophy that Guardiola attributes to his footballing goalkeeper.
Guardiola’s emphasis on a passing goalkeeper means Ederson, a left-back at points in his youth, doubles up as the 11th outfield player
This story is from the August 12, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 12, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'Fight days are for fighting, not chatting to each other'
This Saturday, Joshua Buatsi will share a card with his friend Anthony Joshua for the fourth time, boxing Willy Hutchinson for an interim title at Wembley. Alex Pattle gets the lowdown
F1 title opening could prove to be Norris's only chance
Under the afternoon sun on Saturday in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, it felt like the moment the drivers’ title slipped away from Lando Norris.
The Man City hearing must answer these two questions
Amid all of the uncertainty around the Manchester City investigation, there is one view that can be stated with confidence as it finally gets under way.
Super clubs have nothing to fear from Uefa's shake-up
As a new Champions League format makes its debut today, Miguel Delaney looks at what it means for the competition
Final messages from Titan before implosion revealed
“All good here.”
New Zealand's bird of the year picked up by a penguin
A rare, smelly and yellow-eyed penguin species has been crowned New Zealand’s bird of the year for the second time in less than a decade.
Death toll rises as floods devastate central Europe
The death toll across central Europe from the worst flooding in decades has risen to at least 16 after Storm Boris brought a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours.
Germany reimposes border controls to tackle migration
Germany has reintroduced checks on all nine of its land borders in a move that has angered a number of its neighbours – but brought praise from the far right.
Putin boosts troop numbers as missiles pummel Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to increase by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million soldiers, the third time he has expanded its ranks since sending the military into Ukraine in February 2022.
'I figured he must be either dead or in prison by now...'
Those who know Ryan Routh talk of his previous 'escapades'