This Sunday at Etihad Stadium, essentially the most anticipated match in world soccer this weekend will happen: on Matchday 3 of the Premier League, Manchester Metropolis will host Manchester United. However the large consideration surrounding the sport can also be bringing loads of pressure for each golf equipment, given the struggles they’ve confronted in current weeks.
On prime of the disappointing outcomes each groups have had at the beginning of the 2025–26 season, managers Pep Guardiola and Ruben Amorim are dealing with a shared dilemma: selecting a goalkeeper.
Manchester Metropolis confirmed final week the departure of Ederson to Fenerbahce in Turkey, which paved the way in which for Gianluigi Donnarumma to reach from Paris Saint-Germain. Whereas the Italian goalkeeper’s signing was one of many headline strikes of the European summer season switch window, it’s nonetheless unclear whether or not he’ll instantly develop into a starter.
Within the first three Premier League matches, that position was given to James Trafford. Regardless of being simply 22 years previous, the English participant carried out solidly and left Guardiola glad. “He’s a keeper for Man Metropolis,” the coach mentioned Friday when requested in regards to the place, based on the BBC.
Donnarumma joined Manchester Metropolis this summer season.
Due to this, Guardiola has but to verify who will begin in objective for the derby in opposition to Manchester United. “I can solely play one keeper, I can play two full-backs, two centre-backs… The season is so lengthy everybody can be concerned. They might not consider it however they’ll,” mentioned Pep.
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Guardiola praises Donnarumma
In the identical Friday press convention, Guardiola spoke extremely of Donnarumma, who solely joined coaching a day earlier after that includes for the Italian nationwide group in World Cup qualifiers. “He’s so tall, he’s so big,” the coach started.
“From all of the keepers we wish is protected balls, give confidence to the group, have character and a giant presence… Within the greatest phases within the Champions League final season, at Villa Park, Anfield and in lots of video games, he proved how good he’s,” Pep mentioned about Donnarumma. “He’s going to concede objectives, that’s for certain, however all of us, we’re going to attempt to deal with it.”
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Manchester United’s goalkeeping state of affairs
Similar to the Residents needed to discover a new keeper this summer season to interchange Ederson, Manchester United confronted an identical activity. The distinction, nonetheless, is that their search wasn’t because of the departure of a celebrity, however due to the underwhelming performances from Andre Onana.
The Cameroonian keeper confronted heavy criticism for his errors over the previous two seasons and finally left this summer season to hitch Trabzonspor in Turkey. The Purple Devils looked for a alternative and spent £21.7 million (roughly $30 million) to signal Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp in Belgium.
After such a major funding, it appeared doubtless that Lammens would instantly take over as United’s beginning goalkeeper. Nonetheless, Ruben Amorim made it clear he has different plans and confirmed that Altay Bayindir will begin in opposition to Manchester Metropolis.
“Altay goes to proceed,” Amorim mentioned Friday, based on the Each day Mail. Explaining why Lammens gained’t begin, the coach added: “As a result of it’s a distinct league, it’s a distinct nation, totally different coaching, totally different objective. So we’ll attempt to keep that and they’re going to battle for the place. So for me, for this recreation, it’s clear that Altay is there. So we consider loads in our goalkeepers. I consider in Altay, he’s able to play.”
