Manchester City’s second keeper Stefan Ortega has been hailed as their saviour following his heroics in this week’s penultimate Premier League fixture, with a singular moment that could have very well decided this season’s title race.
Ortega has been relied upon multiple times this season, both in cup competitions and several league fixtures when Ederson has been ruled out – which is exactly what happened following a concerning head injury with around 20 minutes of normal time to go – but never has he stepped up quite like this.
With the Brazilian shot-stopper being forced off for his own good (a decision that left him in tears on the bench), the backup keeper had to play what could prove to be the most important half-hour of football for City this season, with the Blues have never won or even scored at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It wasn’t long before he was called into action either, as Spurs star and regular scorer whenever the two sides meet, Son, found himself through on goal only for Ortega to produce what will likely go down as the most as the most important save of the season:
Pep was every single City fan watching that Son vs Ortega one-on-one.
Say what you will about the South Korean’s composure at the moment but that is nothing short of a sensational stop given the circumstances.
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Manager Pep Guardiola said as much too, insisting to media after the game that “in the one-against-one, he’s one of the best goalkeepers I have ever seen in my life”, adding, “It’s the German culture; stand up, don’t go down. It’s so really, really good… He’s so reliable.”
Pep didn’t mince his words when it came to describing how important that moment was either, stating simply: “Stefan Ortega has saved us. Otherwise, Arsenal are Premier League champions”.
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He also lauded City’s keeper trainer, Xabier Mancisidor – who received a yellow card on the night for his protests over the sickening collision that saw Ederson hooked off despite trying to play on – crediting him with the excellent decision in bringing their number 18 to the club.
"They were playing for the consequences of the result" 🗣
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 14, 2024
Ortega could very well go down as the Aguero of the 2023/24 season with that singular moment, with Liverpool legend turned pundit Jamie Carragher going so far on the night as to declare the goalkeeper as having “won Manchester City the title”.
While he might have called a touch early given that the Blues and Arsenal have one massive game each to play just yet, both against sides that have struggled this season too, that save from Ortega could prove to be as important as the Gerrard slip or any other tide-turning moment in a title race.
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Guardiola has admitted that Ederson’s injury doesn’t look good, admitting that “he can’t see properly” after being left with a visible black eye following the clash, meaning that he is unlikely to play their last game this Sunday.
Nevertheless, as Ortega proved on the night, he isn’t just capable of filling in for the first-team starter when needed – we can’t think of many rotation keepers who have made themselves more worthy of seeing out a season than the 31-year-old did on Tuesday night.
With just West Ham and Everton left to play for the top two, respectively, who knows what could happen on the final day of the season this weekend?
Things could still very come down to goal difference even, but Stefan Ortega did more than his part to make sure that the champions go into the home stretch in control and with Arsenal needing a miracle to stand a chance of beating them to the title.
You can watch the highlights from City’s crucial away win against Spurs, including that incredible save, down below:
Manchester United set to make up to 250 staff redundant in cost-cutting move
Emily Sergeant
Manchester United is set to make up to 250 staff redundant in a bid to cut costs, it is being reported.
Following on from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS’s completed purchase of a 27.7% stake in the Premier League club for a whopping £1.25 billion back in February, and his taking charge of football operations alongside it as part of the agreement, the Manchester-born billionaire has been reviewing the current running of the club ever since.
Most notably, Ratcliffe commissioned a cost review ahead of the 2024/25 football season, as his team not only moved to shake things up on the pitch, but also behind the scenes at Manchester United as a whole.
And now, it’s being widely reported by reputable sources such as Sky Sports News, BBC Sport, The Athletic, and more, that interim Chief Executive, Jean-Claude Blanc, informed staff yesterday lunchtime (3 July) that the club intends to make a wave of redundancies.
Manchester United is set to make up to 250 staff redundant / Credit: Javid Naderi | Mags (via Unsplash)
Sources at Old Trafford have indicated that the club will now follow a formal process to propose such redundancies.
Believed to be a decision that has not been taken lightly, the club will begin to consult with staff across all departments and levels – with the exception of the Manchester United Foundation, according to Sky News.
According to sources, the decision to propose redundancies was finally reached upon following several other alternatives being considered beforehand, but these would apparently have only had a short-term impact, and were therefore deemed unsuitable, given that the long-term goal is to return United back to success in the future.
It’s part of new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s, wider cost-cutting mission at the club / Credit: INEOS
The proposed redundancies also align with the Premier League’s new financial regulations.
And, as United’s costs have risen year-on-year, it’s now also understood that the size and shape of the club “structurally” does not reflect the its current performance.
AO announced as new front-of-shirt sponsor for Altrincham FC
Danny Jones
In another big step forward for non-league Altrincham FC, local electric retailer AO has been unveiled as their new front-of-shirt sponsor.
As the Greater Manchester club continues in its bid to become a bigger sporting entity and one of the fastest-growing football teams in the region, AO being announced as the new official sponsor of Altrincham FC kits for the upcoming season onwards is a big step.
The Bolton-based brand is recognisable throughout the UK and lends its name to Manchester’s iconic arena, so to get them on the front of their 24/25 strip is a landmark moment for the resurgent side, who will debut the new look this weekend.
Confirming the announcement via social media on Tuesday, 2 July, the club confirmed that AO will replace the J. Davidson logo after 13 years, though the Alty scrap company will remain as the club’s long-serving stadium sponsor.
🚨 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 🚨
We are delighted to announce @ao as our main shirt sponsor ahead of the 2024/25 season 👍
Being splashed front and centre on the new Altrincham FC strips also marks AO’s fourth North West sponsorship alongside the self-titled AO Arena, this year’s Netball Super League Grand Finalists Manchester Thunder, Bolton Lads and Girls Club as well as Lancashire County Cricket Club.
The partnership will see the distinctive AO smile logo feature on the front of the National League team’s home and away shirts as part of a multi-year agreement.
Alty’s new home shirt will be debuted in their pre-season fixture against Colne this Saturday, 6 July and the away version is set to be worn for the first time next week.
However, the club have now given their fans a first glimpse at the latter:
The new shirt sponsor also comes not long after they received sizeable investment for a club of their size as a number of local individuals and organisations decided to back The Robins.
Last season was one of the most successful in the club’s history, reaching the playoffs and falling just two games shy of securing promotion to the EFL for the first time ever, ultimately missing out in the semi-finals to League Two debutants, Bromley FC.
It’s an exciting time for the town and their football club.
Sam Mackenzie, Chief Executive at Altrincham FC, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with such a dynamic and thriving company as AO. Their values and outlook align closely with ours, making this partnership a perfect fit.
“The longevity and commitment from both sides in this partnership will mirror the successful ongoing relationship we have with J. Davidson. We deeply appreciate J. Davidson’s invaluable contribution and thank them for their continued support as we enter this exciting new partnership.
“The AO partnership is a significant development for the club, particularly in terms of the activation and outreach it will bring. As a national brand with a strong presence, AO will help us grow. Their culture is something I hugely admire – their team have been wonderful to deal with and work alongside.”
As for AO, Group Marketing Director Vicky Monky expressed a palpable buzz about teaming up with the club during such an “exciting time in their history” as they continue to consolidate as a full-time professional outfit. It’s not the only eye-catching collaboration they’ve announced recently either.