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FootballPep Guardiola Credits 1 Man City Star Who Saved Him and ‘Stopped’ Arsenal From Being EPL Champions
- Pep Guardiola has lauded Stefan Ortega for saving Man City
- Ortega made three crucial saves to help City beat Spurs 2-0
- Guardiola's men are 90 minutes away from another EPL title
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Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola, has singled out Stefan Ortega for his heroics against Tottenham Hotspur in their all-important Premier League game on Tuesday night.
Guardiola's City are on the brink of securing an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title following their 2-0 victory over Spurs.
Erling Haaland's brace secured City's first win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in five Premier League visits and brought them closer to another league crown, per Sky Sports.
Stefan Ortega saves Man City
While Haaland was the goal-scoring hero, goalkeeper Ortega emerged as an unexpected saviour for the defending champions, making three crucial saves to thwart Spurs' attacks.
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Coming on as a second-half substitute for Ederson Moraes, Ortega delivered an outstanding performance, including a vital one-on-one save against Son Heung-min late in the game.
Ortega's pivotal save prompted a palpable reaction from Guardiola, who dropped to the ground in relief as Son, typically reliable in front of goal, failed to score.
Had Son succeeded in scoring, the outcome of the match could have been different, potentially placing Arsenal in prime position to win the title instead of the Mancunian club.
Guardiola lauds Ortega
After the game, Guardiola commended Ortega for his contribution, acknowledging how a different result would have altered the championship race in favour of Arsenal.
"He saves us; otherwise, Arsenal are champions. That is the reality. The margins are so tight," Pep remarked, as cited by The Guardian.
"Oh my God, the save from Son. It was incredible. One-on-one, Stefan is one of the best keepers I’ve seen in my entire life. It’s the German culture – stand up, don’t go down,” he ended.
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FootballSon criticised for underperforming against City
Meanwhile, Tottenham forward Son Heung-min has faced accusations of intentionally underperforming during his team's 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City, as reported by Sports Brief.
Before the match, Arsenal supporters fervently urged their arch-rivals to defeat City or secure a draw to bolster their chances of clinching the Premier League title.
However, as the game concluded after 90 minutes, neither of these desired outcomes materialised, leading to disappointment among the Arsenal faithful.
Son has since been singled out and held accountable for the unfavourable result.