Ederson: A goalkeeper unlike any other | OneFootball

Ederson leaves Manchester City widely regarded as a revolutionary.

As first-choice goalkeeper throughout this historic era under Pep Guardiola, he will forever be known as a pivotal figure in one of the best teams English football has ever seen.

His six Premier League titles is more than any other shot stopper in this era and level with former Liverpool man Bruce Grobbelaar in terms of most decorated goalkeepers in English top-flight history.

The Brazilian has not just won masses of silverware throughout his time at the Etihad Stadium, he’s been central to changing how the game is played.

No Premier League goalkeeper has ever before been so confident with the ball at their feet.

His composure when faced down by No.9s who sensed an opportunity to nick the ball from him repeatedly left more than a few hearts in mouths around the Etihad Stadium.

WATCH: Ederson farewell video

That sharp intake of breath when Cruyff-turning in his own six-yard box never moved the unflappable Brazilian though, with the goalkeeper in control of his emotions as masterfully as he was of the ball.

Meanwhile, his courage to rush out of his goal and prevent opponents from turning defence into attack has been a defining feature of the six Premier League titles he has won.

In fact, only five players have ever lifted the Premier League trophy more than Ederson and only 13 goalkeepers ever amassing more clean sheets than his 121.

His three Golden Glove awards for most clean sheets in a season can only be bettered by Petr Cech and Joe Hart, who both featured in the league for much longer than Ederson.

He stands alone in terms of shot stoppers who’ve provided assists for team-mates, with seven in the Premier League – including four in his final term.

They have tended to require unerringly accurate long passes sent over opposing defences for the likes of Sergio Aguero, Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland to race on to.

That only tells part of the story though, with his short passing and bravery to draw opponents out a key factor in so many chances created for which the goalkeeper himself received no direct credit.

To talk just about his footwork would also diminish the incredible saves at vital moments he has made on the way to the 18 major honours won under Pep Guardiola.

WATCH: Enjoy Ederson's wildest moments!

With the 31-year-old now set for pastures new after a stellar stint at the Etihad, it’s the perfect time to reflect on all that he has achieved.

Guardiola had a clear plan for the football he wanted to play as soon as he moved to Manchester, tasking Claudio Bravo with building from the back in his first season.

When that didn’t quite go to plan, he turned to a little-known 23-year-old at Benfica.

Joining the Blues in the same summer as Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker, Ederson felt like the crucial final component to realise Guardiola’s ambitions.

City would dominate possession and opponents all season in 2017/18, picking up a record 100 points and setting off an era of dominance under the Catalan.

WATCH: Watch: Every Ederson assist at City

It could never have been a given that Ederson would be a success.

The position of goalkeeper is just about the most fickle on the pitch, with a string of world class saves immediately forgotten when you make one error.

When you factor in that Ederson was just 23 at the time of signing and with only one season’s experience as Benfica’s first choice, there was plenty of reason for caution when he arrived.

However, the Brazilian himself said he was at least comfortable with the playing style.

“I was already used to play in this position, playing with a high line,” he said when reflecting on his first season at City.

“Our team was a team that made high pressure, so the defenders were almost in the midfield line.

“I needed to be as high as possible so I could intervene in a counter attack or ball behind our defenders.

“In the build up, most teams would pressure us high so I had three options: a short pass, a medium pass or a long pass.

“I made some assists which might have been a surprise but it wasn’t for me because I already knew what I could do.”

A giant goal kick in just his second pre-season match caught Tottenham Hotspur’s defence unawares and left Sergio Aguero with a golden chance.

The Argentine hit the inside of the post but the move itself laid down a marker for what was possible with our new gloveman.

“When I was at Bayern Munich, we played Benfica and we tried to analyse him and we just said ‘What is that?!’. He has this quality to put the ball in the other box,” said Guardiola at the time.

WATCH: Masterclass: Ederson

Ederson’s Premier League introduction came in a win and clean sheet at Brighton but the first glimpse of his true nature wouldn’t be for a few weeks later.

With City 1-0 up against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, Sadio Mane raced in behind City’s defence looking to latch on to a lofted pass.

Then came Ederson, heading clear in brilliant fashion and receiving a taste of the Senegalese’s studs for good measure.

It was a horror challenge that left our goalkeeper needing eight stitches to the left side of his face.

While his injuries made it impossible for him to finish that game, the Brazilian was incredibly back between the sticks in a Champions League game at Feyenoord just four days later.

“I’m not afraid of hurting myself,” he said.

“This made me leave the pitch on a stretcher, which made my family very worried. I really wanted to keep playing but the doctor said it was not possible because the cut was too big and deep.

“The next day I was back in training!”

WATCH: Ederson: Episode one - Beginnings

Coming back from an injury like that, Ederson would be forgiven for being a little cautious in rushing forward and throwing his body in the line of fire.

No chance! He remained as steadfast as ever – well aware of his role in Pep’s high pressing structure.

“I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe to go into a challenge. I kept the same conviction and courage from always.”

Coming from a futsal hotspot like Brazil, the goalkeeper says his grounding in that game gave him an advantage in being an active sweeper keeper.

“Sometimes I look like a futsal goalkeeper!” he said.

“Of course, it has remnants of futsal because futsal helped me a lot in ball control, in decision making and in identifying a pass and I ended up transferring that to the pitch.

"And of course, we are all subject to work accidents sometimes, right?!”

He started every single Premier League campaign that season until the title was wrapped up, taking a break for the final two outings.

That meant he watched on from the sidelines at Southampton as City achieved what many deemed impossible and hit 100 Premier League points in a season.

WATCH: Ederson: My first season

With six titles now under his belt, it may be easy to dismiss just how special and enormous an achievement every single one has been – never mind a record breaking year.

In the midst of the celebrations that first time around, Ederson knew the magnitude of what he and the team had done.

“It was a dream come true,” he said.

“This was a league I always dreamed of playing in so conquering this title in my first season, that was the highest point for me.”

Football doesn’t tend to rest though and teams have historically found it hard to back up era-defining Premier League success.

Not Pep Guardiola’s side though.

Liverpool came hot on our heels, with Jurgen Klopp’s side particularly improved by the arrival of Ederson’s compatriot and fellow goalkeeper, Alisson.

In the years that have followed, the duo have competed relentlessly for the starting role in Brazil’s side.

Even during a tougher period for one of football’s spiritual homes, they’ve enjoyed a world-class selection between the sticks with both Ederson and Alisson defining the modern standards for their position in the Premier League.

WATCH: Ederson’s dream goalkeeper five-a-side team

Between 2018/19 and 2021/22, they were the only winners of the Premier League’s Golden Glove award with Ederson winning twice in his own right and Alisson once before they shared it in the final of those terms.

The pair have enjoyed healthy respect and admiration for each other through the years, with Alisson stating they push each other to be better.

"Ederson is a fantastic guy and in the national team, we have a really good relationship,” he said in 2024.

"When I look at him, I can see that this is the way that I have to play. I have to be cooler with the ball at my feet even when I am under pressure.

"I think in a way we push each other because I see him doing well, and I know I have to do better.

"It's healthy competition, we push each other, and it's the best for the national team."

WATCH: Ederson: Episode two - Europe

City won a relentless title race, claiming 98 points ahead of Liverpool’s 97, and Ederson played every single minute.

Not only that, but we did a clean sweep of domestic trophies with Community Shield, League Cup and FA Cup triumphs leading to the coining of the term ‘Fourmidables’.

There was a landmark moment in Ederson’s career as he claimed the first of eight assists – arrowing a ball deep into Huddersfield Town’s half from a goal kick for Sergio Aguero to race on to, compose himself and chip into the net.

Speaking recently, the Brazilian says that remains his favourite tee-up in a City shirt!

With 55 appearances, it was also his busiest season at City – missing just the Community Shield and our run to Wembley in the League Cup but playing every other game.

Nicky Weaver, a City favourite between the sticks around the turn of the century, could barely believe what the goalkeeper was producing.

“I think the way Ederson plays, he is taking goalkeeping to a new level,” he said in 2019.

“I call it ‘goalkeeping on the edge’ because he plays so advanced, the way the players trust him with the ball. Ederson gives it them under pressure they use him as an outfield player.

“He’s as good as I’ve seen with the ball at his feet, but he’s also very good at making saves. He doesn’t have many saves to make, but when he’s called to action, he makes them and for me he’s the best goalkeeper in the league.”

WATCH: Rogerio Ceni surprises Ederson!

2019/20 was something of a reset for City, with Liverpool getting their hands on the title.

However, with 16 clean sheets, he picked up his first Premier League Golden Glove.

A return to title-winning form in 2020/21 came with an even better tally as he took charge of 19 shutouts in the Premier League.

A second Premier League followed in 2020/21 as Ilkay Gundogan, that term’s top scorer, raced on to a long, direct pass before twisting Spurs’ Davinson Sanchez inside out and tucking under Hugo Lloris.

With fans slowly allowed to return to stadia as the end of the 2020/21 season neared, Ederson would play in his first Champions League final.

It wasn’t to be in Porto as Chelsea lifted the trophy but there could be no blame attached to Ederson.

Not to worry, the Brazilian’s relationship with the showpiece event in European football wasn’t over.

Joe Corrigan, one of the greatest goalkeepers in our history, took this juncture in Ederson’s City career to highlight the impact he had already made.

“I scout for the Club and to see, as I do at junior level, all the keepers trying to play out from the back it’s just great to see. It has been transformative,” he stated.

“Obviously, there are some keepers who don’t have Ederson’s ability and they can look red-faced trying to execute that sometimes.

“But I think it makes the game a lot better in regards that you are looking to play from the back and not looking for the long ball.

“Ederson has got the ability to execute a precise pass. It’s not a long punt, it’s a pin-point pass and gives another outlet to the side’s attacking ability.

“He’s got such a tremendous left foot, it makes the opposition coaches think: ‘Well, if we press he can pick that pass to alleviate the pressure and with the players City have upfront with pace and ability they will hurt us, but if we don’t press high City can play from the back to any areas.’

“He can pick short, medium and long-range passes. It’s absolutely remarkable.”

2021/22 was another high-quality campaign defined by City and Liverpool’s rivalry.

We’d again win the league by one point, needing a comeback victory on the final day and the two league meetings between the sides would also come down to the finest of margins.

In fact, it was mere millimetres that meant Ederson’s composure was not the headline for all the wrong reasons.

With Diogo Jota closing him down, Ederson took a touch that rolled towards his own goal and checked the options available to him.

WATCH: City 2-2 Liverpool: Extended highlights

As he hesistated, the ball continued its slow march and the Etihad held its breath.

Eventually, his left foot cushioned the ball out to the left a fraction of a second before Jota slid past him and into the goal.

The match, described by many as the highest quality in Premier League history, ended 2-2 and City had a point that would prove decisive.

In a City career defined by scarcely believable composure under extreme pressure, this will be the moment that the Etihad faithful recall instantly.

Ederson himself is quite matter of fact about the incident, although his friends left him in no doubt as to how City fans the world over would have felt.

“I was going to make a pass to the left-back, but I saw Trent Alexander-Arnold covering Joao Cancelo, so I delayed the pass, and the ball went on the goalline,” he said.

“Aymeric Laporte offered me a line of pass, so I sorted it out very calmly.

“I got a lot of messages from my friends saying that they almost had a heart attack, but the perspective of the game is different from the outside than inside the game.

“I was always aware of the situation, it was a risky move, but I was always calm.

2022/23 needs little introduction for City fans.

The Treble, capped off by Champions League success in Istanbul, stands alone as the summit of achievement in European football.

Even with the new competition of the esteemed Stefan Ortega Moreno, Ederson made 48 appearances across all competitions.

It was in the Champions League where he truly shone.

The Blues breezed through the group stage and demolished RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 before Europe’s true titans stood in our way.

A 4-1 aggregate win over Bayern Munich set up another date with Real Madrid.

We had to navigate the Bernabeu first this time, earning a 1-1 draw thanks to a sharp Ederson save to deny Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.

WATCH: Ederson: 2022/23 Best Bits

The follow up to that was a 4-0 thrashing back at the Etihad to earn a place at our second final in three seasons.

Against Inter in Istanbul, City struggled.

Simone Inzaghi’s side were dogged and capable of disrupting our rhythm.

When Rodri forced the ball home midway through the second half, that could have released the shackles.

Instead, it brought the Italian side on to us. Only for them to be met by an Ederson in inspired form, making saves that were instinctive and dramatic in equal measure.

A solid knee blocked Romelu Lukaku’s header and somehow kept the ball out.

That came before Ederson’s giant, swiping claw from a glanced header was the very final act of the game deep into stoppage time.

WATCH: City 1-0 Inter: Extended Champions League final highlights

With the ball safely away from goal, the final whistle went and history was made.

Ederson collapsed to his knees as staff and substitutes rushed on to the pitch to congratulate and thank him.

The emotion of the game was too much for most in the ground, but rarely had anyone seen our No.31 show even a fraction of the emotion he let out that night.

Looking back on that save, Ederson knew how special it was.

“It has the worth of a goal!” he said.

“It was in the last minute of the match. That moment will stay registered in my memory forever. It was something so special that it can’t even be explained. You have to live those moments to understand it.”

Pep Guardiola was unequivocal in his praise of his goalkeeper during that run.

“The reason we won the Champions League was Ederson!” he said.

“In Madrid he made incredible saves from Benzema and in the final he was the key player.

“We cannot define that period without Eddy, it’s impossible.”

Surely, with a Treble secured and three Premier Leagues in a row achieved, 2023/24 wouldn’t be as good?

Instead, the Blues made yet more history by winning a record fourth Premier League title in a row.

Despite that, there were some frustrations for Ederson.

The goalkeeper was freakishly forced to leave the pitch through injury four times in the Premier League, replaced by Stefan Ortega Moreno each time.

In the final occurrence, Ortega Moreno made a save that has gone on to define that campaign – sticking out a right leg to divert Heung min-Son’s shot and help us on the way to a first ever league victory at Spurs.

WATCH: 2023/24 season highlights: Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno

Our Champions League defence didn’t go all the way, but it was again through no fault of our goalkeeper.

In fact, he even went above and beyond his duties by scoring in the penalty shootout that eventually eliminated us.

A talking point throughout much of his Etihad stay due to his composure and ball-striking ability, the Brazilian made it clear just how good he was from the spot by beating the diving Andriy Lunin.

His final season also started with a penalty shootout. This time, his emphatic finish was part of a successful effort to beat Manchester United.

While it didn’t go quite to plan from there, Ederson remained the resolute and reliable presence he’s always been.

WATCH: Extended highlights: City 1-1 Manchester United (7-6p) - 2024 Community Shield

Three Premier League assists before this season was more than respectable, with only Paul Robinson, David Seaman and Pepe Reina boasting more.

But a season-high total of four has put him out on his own with seven Premier League assists.

Two floated balls for Erling Haaland, plus pinpoint hits to Omar Marmoush and James McAtee perhaps indicated a change in style for City but it brought out the best in Ederson.

WATCH: Watch: Every Ederson assist at City

As the time comes to look back on Ederson’s stellar City stint, it’s important to remember that comparison is the thief of joy. But in football it’s inevitable.

As a Club, City have been blessed with spectacular goalkeepers often during our storied history.

Frank Swift, Bert Trautmann, Joe Corrigan and Joe Hart are just a few that are amongst the men to have played for City more than most and to have commanded universal respect at the peak of their powers.

With a trophy haul of 18, 372 appearances and an impact on the wider game that stretches far beyond just numbers, Ederson no doubt sits amongst those greats.

In fact, with no goalkeeper ever winning the top-flight title more than him, there can be little dispute that he deserves his place amongst the best goalkeepers English football has ever seen.