Garth Crooks has hailed Man City goalkeeper Ederson as “quite brilliant” after an unorthodox display that highlighted Man City’s new style of play at the back.
Writing in his BBC column, he included the City keeper in his Team of the Week, despite him not having much to do – Brighton only had two shots on target the whole game.
“As semi-finals go, Manchester City versus Brighton was not a classic,” wrote Crooks. “However, what I have never seen before is a goalkeeper take so many chances in defence with his feet.
“In my day, goalkeepers picked the ball up when it was in the box. Ederson plays the game like a defender and only uses his hands as a last resort. I must say he was quite brilliant but I sometimes think: What is the game coming to?”
OPINION
Man City booked their seat in the FA Cup final, as predicted, but the score line was a lot closer than most people expected. Brighton had one good chance to draw level in the second-half, and couldn’t take it, but they can leave the competition with their heads held high. Ederson didn’t have a lot to do at Wembley on Saturday but he showcased the new sweeper-keeper style that led Pep Guardiola to get rid of former keeper Joe Hart. That seemed harsh at the time but, with all due respect to Hart, he would never be able to play the game the way Ederson does. It can occasionally lead to heart-in-the-mouth moments, but it has the effect of keeping the game flowing, and it provides the foundation for Man City’s breathtaking play. True visionaries push the boundaries of the game and effect change and it’s hard not to see Pep as the most important manager of the modern age. He might have taken his inspiration from Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, but he’s moved football up a notch or two and made the Man City team his own.