Guardiola Praises Man City Goalkeeper Ederson's Exceptionally Long Goal Kicks

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes his side will benefit in attack from new signing Ederson's exceptionally long goal kicks.

City entered the market for a new keeper after Claudio Bravo struggled to adapt to life in the Premiership last season. And the Blues signed Ederson from Benfica via a £35 million deal to resolve their weaknesses at the back.

However, Ederson possesses a particular skill, not often seen among most goalkeepers. The Brazillian can launch a dead ball deep into the opposition's penalty box. And given the fact that players cannot be ruled offside on a goal kick, Ederson offers a viable outlet of attack.

Ederson's unique ability was on display in City's ICC victory over Tottenham as striker Sergio Aguero was played through on goal only to strike the post. 

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Guardiola has been aware of Ederson's long dead ball kicks for some time now. In fact, the former Barcelona manager noticed Ederson's ability in a match with Benfica while managing Bayern Munich.

"He has this quality, in the goal kicks when the opposition makes high pressing and it's complicated now we have the chance to put the ball in the other box, and of course we have a little bit more space in the middle," Guardiola said at a press conference per Goal. 

"And of course he created a good chance for Sergio to score a goal.

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"When I was at Bayern Munich we played Benfica in the Champions League and he was there, and when we tried to analyze them we saw it four or five times and we organized a meeting to say 'Guys, what's the matter? What is that?'

"We tried to work about that because he has this quality to put the ball in the other box and it's not offside. We spread out the opponents and we can have more space in the middle."

Ederson's arrival has spelled doubt over fellow City keeper Bravo's future at the Etihad. However, Guardiola claims Bravo will still command regular playing time if his performances warrant it.

"He's our goalkeeper, he will be with us, get fit and after I will decide," the Catalan added. 

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"Like last season sometimes I played Willy and then I played Claudio and then I played Willy and after it was Claudio. I will see what is going to happen. I do not decide what is going to happen, I learn that from my nine years as a manager. I have an idea, and after I go to the training sessions and I have a look, I watch my players.

"Claudio is a captain of a national team who never used to [win] anything special, and I know how important he was in the two Copa Americas and the final of the Confederations Cup.

"I never had doubts about the quality of Claudio, but we decide now to buy Ederson. He [Ederson] shows us amazing things in this period, not just the goal kicks but also he saves a lot of balls and how quickly he closes the space for the strikers. 

''Always with his feet he decides well, with the long and the short, he reads the decisions well, that's why I wanted him because to compete at the high level we need two excellent goalkeepers, if we don't have that, we can't."

City will open their Premier League campaign away to Brighton on the 12th of August.