Ederson made headlines during his derby victory over Manchester United when he was spotted squatting down midway as the Red Devils battled to find a rhythm at the Etihad Stadium, but the Brazilian says his actions were “perfectly normal.”
Ederson has always been a sweeper goalkeeper for the Premier League champions and is widely regarded as one of the best in the world at dealing with balls in the air and on the deck.
With that in mind, he is not averse to venturing well outside his penalty area, as he did against United, and argues that far too much is being read into him allegedly disrespecting local rivals by emphasizing their toothlessness in the second half of a 4-1 defeat.
When asked if City required a goalkeeper against United, Ederson replied: “I saw that image after the game. I’ve been in that position numerous times; whether it’s a corner or a throw-in, I always aim to play high up in order to thwart an opponent’s counterattack.
“I do this a lot in games, and it’s something that sometimes goes unnoticed. Due to the fact that it was a derby, more people took note.”
“That is how I play; Pep urges me to play high up, and there are plenty of games in which you use your feet more than your hands, but you have to be prepared for anything.”
“At times, it may be a counter for our team as well if a superior passing option is available. It’s quite reasonable and something we’ve been doing exceptionally well.”
How does Ederson maintain his concentration?
With City establishing themselves as a dominant force in domestic and continental football, Ederson finds himself in numerous appearances with little to accomplish.
He has grown accustomed to this and claims to have perfected the discipline of maintaining his concentration when his thoughts would naturally wander.
“It’s difficult to concentrate during games when I’m not seeing much of the ball, but I always look to communicate with my teammates,” Ederson remarked.
“I frequently express my fatigue to my teammates following a game. In a game where I don’t make many saves, I’m emotionally exhausted, as mental exhaustion is more exhausting than physical exhaustion.”
“While maintaining focus for 90 minutes is challenging, I’m becoming better at it these days as a result of my communication with the rest of the team.”
City will be hoping for another calm evening on Wednesday when they host Sporting in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, which they lead 5-0 on aggregate.
