‘Hard to fathom’ – Man City criticised for not immediately replacing Ederson after ugly collision with Cristiano Romero by brain injury charity Headway

Pep Guardiola confirmed after the game that Ederson’s withdrawal was not due to him suffering from concussion but due to excessive swelling under his right eye. The City boss said: “Ederson did not have concussion, he had a problem with his eye. He could not see properly, so the doctor said I should change.”

But even though it was supposedly not concussion related, Headway are not happy with how the situation played out. Chief executive Luke Griggs told the Standard: “The concern from players of both teams in the immediate aftermath of the injury, as well as from the medical team and the fact a stretcher was brought onto the pitch, would suggest a clear concern for Ederson’s wellbeing. The fact that he was not immediately removed would suggest a concussion was not suspected, this is hard to understand especially as symptoms can be delayed in their presentation. While we were relieved to see the player taken off a few minutes later, it is hard to fathom why this was not an immediate decision. It is yet another example of when a temporary concussion substitute would have been helpful. Ederson’s angry reaction is no surprise given the competitive nature of players who want to take part in massive games like this one, though his reaction underscores the need to take such decisions out of the players’ hands.”

Ederson now faces an anxious wait to see whether he is fit enough to represent City in their final game of the season at home against West Ham. Victory at the Etihad will secure a fourth consecutive title for the Citizens, regardless of the outcome in Arsenal’s match versus Everton.