Man City Square
Fansided

Manchester City: Our Team of the Decade

By David Crook

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: General view outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Etihad Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: General view outside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Etihad Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next

Team of the Decade: The Goalkeeper

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: Ederson of Manchester City throws the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: Ederson of Manchester City throws the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Goal difference has been absolutely vital in our title victories on occasion and our defence has been the real foundation of our achievements. Of course it took real investment to lift the Club from the past and it was our spending on defence which seemed to characterise Manchester City in the early years following the takeover by Sheikh Mansour.

Much as we may have a soft spot for the heroics of Willy Caballero in goal during the League Cup victory against Liverpool, our goal keeper for the team of the decade is a straight shoot out between two players – Joe Hart and Ederson.

There is a danger of revisiting the legacy of Joe Hart through the spectacles of his travails under Guardiola. Putting that to one side and it is clear that Hart was exactly the kind of keeper we needed as we clawed our way to a spot at the top table.

More from Man City Square

Hart was passionate and committed, driving the team to be the best they could and who could forget his shot stopping ability – that game against Barcelona where he single handedly kept Lionel Messi out!

But the arrival of Ederson has been truly transformative. He has changed the way in which we think about goal keepimng in the UK.

His distribution and ball control is amazing. He is confident enough with the ball at his feet to feature in the Premier League in midfield, and when coupled with his shot stopping and reaction saves makes him the best keeper in the world.

The choice may be closer than we initially realised but the team of the decade goalkeeper is Ederson.