Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has dismissed the rumors surrounding regular goalkeeper Ederson’s potential exit from the club.
City’s young goalkeeper James Trafford faced heavy criticism after a costly error against Tottenham Hotspur. Standing by his player during a tough time, Guardiola explained that he chose Trafford because of his impressive performance in the season’s opening match.
At the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, City suffered a 2-0 defeat in the Premier League clash. Trafford was largely at fault for the second goal before halftime. Despite several Spurs players inside the box, he avoided a powerful clearance and instead attempted a soft pass to a teammate. The ball was intercepted, leading to Richarlison passing it to Palhinha, whose deflected shot found the back of the net.
First-choice goalkeeper Ederson missed City’s league opener against Wolverhampton due to illness and remained on the bench for the full Tottenham match. Reports suggested he might leave for Turkish side Galatasaray, with City rumored to be interested in PSG’s departing Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
However, Guardiola shut down speculation about Ederson’s departure while also clarifying his decision to start Trafford.
“James played well in the first match, and I decided to keep him in the starting XI. Goalkeeper is a special position, and of course, we need more consistency there,” Guardiola said.
“When I make decisions early in the season about players who play one or two matches, people think, ‘This is the starting lineup; these players will always play.’ But there are so many matches that everyone will get their chance. As for starting Trafford, I made that decision today (Saturday).”
