Manchester City has the ability and the squad to win the Premier League - Ederson

Ahead of the contest against Liverpool, goalkeeper Ederson talks about how Manchester City has sustained form through this challenging season.

Published : Feb 07, 2021 10:40 IST

Ederson..."Now [our club is] in a good moment and it’s because of all the work we have done over the last few months." - GETTY IMAGES
Ederson..."Now [our club is] in a good moment and it’s because of all the work we have done over the last few months." - GETTY IMAGES
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Ederson..."Now [our club is] in a good moment and it’s because of all the work we have done over the last few months." - GETTY IMAGES

Everton has done Pep Guardiola a massive favour. The Toffees earned a last-gasp 3-3 draw with Manchester United on Saturday to present Manchester City an opportunity to pull clear in the race for the Premier League title. City, having played two games lesser than United, has a two-point lead at the top that could potentially increase to eight points.

Guardiola’s side, unbeaten in 13 League games, faces a stern test against defending champion Liverpool on Sunday. Ahead of the trip to Anfield, Ederson, who is the leading goalkeeper in the Premier League this season with 13 clean sheets, talks about the title race heating up and about how City has sustained form through this challenging season.

Q. Manchester City is undefeated in 10 League games, how well does that augur in your challenge for the title?

A. We are more consistent now after a difficult start to the season. The team is working well in both in attack and defence. We have been very solid in the last few games. We are always looking to score and at the same look to protect our own goal well. We are in good shape and we will try to keep the same level until the end of the season. Winning the Premier League is going to be difficult, there are a lot of teams involved in the title race, but I think we have the ability to conquer the League and we have the squad to do it.

What has been the main reason for City’s recent form - what has Guardiola changed to make these results possible?

We are more solid, especially in defence. The centre-backs, John Stones and Ruben Dias, have been incredible. Also, the full-backs are at a great level, the midfielders as well. I think it’s not just the back four, the whole team has worked together defensively. All the credit to all my team-mates for that. We work hard during the week to be able to perform well. Sometimes the number of games can take a toll, but I think the team is in good momentum. Even when the team is rotated and new players come in, the team keeps performing at a high level and playing good football. I think we are on the right path.

How tough was it to lose the title to Liverpool last season? What was the mood in the camp like?

I think our mentality has always been the same. We want to win all the competitions we are involved in. Last season, we had downs during the season when we weren’t able to win some games, but that’s normal in every team. When you lose, the team needs to be united, help each other, be patient and keep working. That’s what we did, we are always in the search for improvement, even in the tough times. Now we are in a good moment and it’s because of all the work we have done over the last few months.

What do you make of the title race? Would you say City is currently the favourite?

Of course [we are one of the favourites]. In my previous three seasons, we have won two Premier Leagues and the other season we finished second. We are going to fight for the League again. We are going to face a lot of contenders this season, it’s going to be a very difficult championship. To me, there are four or five teams that could win it this season and Manchester City is one of them.

 

We’ve seen a huge change at City with many new faces coming in and the likes of Kevin de Bruyne missing out due to injury. How do you think the team has managed this transition?

I hope he (de Bruyne) can come back as soon as possible. It’s an important absence for us because he is a unique player. He has a lot of quality, he is a reference in our team. But we also have a lot of quality players that can replace him.

The departure of David Silva was a big miss for us. To me, he is one of the best players I have ever seen. His talent was unbelievable. But, on the other hand, we have Phil Foden now. He has experienced huge growth this season. Ferran Torres also came to help us out. Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are also in great shape. I think we have a young team and we are in good hands. We give everything to play good football and try to win.

You’re currently leading the way with clean sheet stats. How do you rate your form this season?

A quote that I heard once is: “when you don’t concede goals, you are closer to winning.” It’s true. I think we have been working well defensively, we haven’t conceded many goals. At the beginning of the season, it was tough, we conceded five goals at home against Leicester City, but the team has worked hard since and our defensive line has been very solid this season. I’m happy for keeping clean sheets, but the main goal in this club is to win trophies.

Catch the Liverpool vs Manchester City Premier League clash live on Sunday at 10 PM IST only on Star Sports Select.

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