Gianluigi Donnarumma’s passing ability receives special praise from Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has been keen to issue praise on Gianluigi Donnarumma for his abilities with the ball at his feet.

The Manchester City manager’s comments once again underline how central goalkeepers are to his philosophy, with distribution, composure, and decision-making forming just as important a part of the role as shot-stopping.

This focus on ball-playing ability has long been a defining feature of Guardiola’s teams, dating back to his time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and later refined during City’s most dominant campaigns. Ederson’s extraordinary range of passing transformed the way City built phases of play, setting a benchmark that few goalkeepers in world football could match.

With Gianluigi Donnarumma now established as Manchester City’s first-choice goalkeeper, comparisons with Ederson are inevitable. However, Guardiola’s latest remarks suggest while the Italian may not replicate the Brazilian’s distribution, he brings a different profile that is equally valuable.

Speaking during a recent media conference, Guardiola diverted from one question to the subject of his No.1 choice between the sticks, praising the Italian international for his on-the-ball abilities.

“[Gianluigi] Donnarumma is really, really good in the tempo for the short passes and the passes,” said Guardiola.

“He has not [got] the [ability to] shoot the long pass that Ederson [had]. But not any other keeper had that passes of Ederson.”

Pep Guardiola continued, “But Gigio is really good in the composure, in the first controls, taking decisions for the short [passes], he is much, much better than the people can think about it.”

Pep Guardiola was speaking ahead of Manchester City’s FA Cup third round tie against Exeter – a match that later showcased the manager’s continued commitment to structured build-up and positional discipline.

City progressed with a record-equalling 10-1 victory, with Max Alleyne opening the scoring and new signing Antoine Semenyo making an immediate impact, while Donnarumma was afforded an afternoon off as James Trafford took his place.

Looking ahead, Donnarumma’s strengths in short distribution and composure could become increasingly significant, particularly against opponents who press aggressively. An ability to remain calm and make correct decisions in tight spaces may offer City greater security in their defensive third.

As the season progresses, Pep Guardiola’s endorsement is likely to further cement Donnarumma’s status as a central figure in City’s tactical framework. Rather than being judged solely on what he cannot replicate from his predecessor, the Italian appears to be carving out his own identity as a goalkeeper at the club.