- Ortega was introduced as a substitute
- Shot-stopper pulled off an incredible save to deny Son
- Kept City’s title ambitions on track
WHAT HAPPENED?
There was intense drama during City’s match against Tottenham, particularly when starting goalkeeper Ederson was forced off after a collision with Cristian Romero in the 69th minute. Ortega, stepping in as his replacement, showed nerves of steel in a one-on-one situation with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, in the 86th minute as he spread himself to deny the South Korean a crucial equaliser that would have changed the entire dynamic of the game. Six minutes later, Erling Haaland capitalized on a penalty and scored the insurance goal to seal the three points for the Cityzens.
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WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
Guardiola did not hold back his praise for Ortega’s game-changing save and told reporters: “How is a team a team? Because of Ortega’s save. Otherwise, Arsenal are champions. That is the reality, the margins are so, so tight.
“Do you know how many times Son punished us in the last seven, eight years? Can I tell you how many goals he scored against us with Harry Kane? Oh my God, and I said ‘not again,’ but Stefan makes an incredible save. It was amazing but he has this talent.
“In the one-against-one, he is one of the best keepers I have ever seen in my life. Stand up, don’t go down and he is so, so, good. Playing FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and even this season Ederson had four times setbacks for injuries and always he was so reliable. He is an incredible keeper so the club and our trainer made an incredible decision to bring him here.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Looking ahead, Guardiola quickly turned his focus to City’s upcoming match against West Ham, where a victory will secure their sixth Premier League title under his leadership and an unprecedented fourth consecutive crown.
“Now? I am tired,” he admitted. “Relax and tomorrow start to think about West Ham. It is a pleasure to depend on ourselves for the last game against a contender like Arsenal.
“Now, (Mohammed) Kudus, (Jarrod) Bowen, (Michail) Antonio, (James) Ward-Prowse, (Tomas) Soucek, set-pieces, channels. And think about that, focus perfectly and think about it like we live with Aston Villa (last season). The last (defeat) was the sixth of December. We are here and we have to win one more game to retain the title.”
WHAT NEXT FOR STEFAN ORTGEA?
Ortega’s heroics and Haaland’s clinical finishing have set the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the Premier League season. City fans will be eagerly anticipating Sunday’s clash with West Ham, knowing that their destiny is in their hands. However, it remains to be seen if Guardiola will stick to Ortega for the final showdown against David Moyes’ men or bring back Ederson, despite the fiery response from the Brazilian after he was hooked on Tuesday.
