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:
Travel warning issued as tens of thousands to descend for Manchester Half Marathon
Daisy Jackson
A travel warning has been issued ahead of the Manchester Half Marathon this weekend, with tens of thousands of runners and spectators expected to arrive in the city.
People are being urged to plan their journeys ahead of time, with significant road closures in place from the city centre as far out as Sale.
Road closures – and subsequent bus diversions – will also affect parts of Stretford, Chorlton, Trafford, and surrounding areas.
Around 32,000 people are expected to take part in the Manchester Half Marathon this Sunday, with thousands more coming out to cheer the runners on.
Transport for Greater Manchester is advising people that the Bee Network trams will be the best way to get around over the weekend.
Extra trams will be operating to provide as much capacity as possible.
Road closures and bus diversions will start on Saturday 3 October and continue until the actual race day on Sunday 4 October, lifting fully by 8.30pm.
Tens of thousands of runners and spectators will descend on Manchester for the half marathon
Earlier this year, the Manchester Marathon led to a record-breaking day for Metrolink trams, with the highest number of passengers ever recorded on a single day in the network’s history.
Whether running or cheering, people are advised to use the Bee Network app to plan their journeys and are strongly encouraged not to drive within the affected areas.
Steve Gilholme, Head of Events at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “The Manchester Half Marathon is another one of those special occasions where the people of Greater Manchester and beyond come together, with thousands of people taking on the challenge and raising money for good causes, while many more will line the route to cheer them on.
“This does mean the city centre and especially trams will be incredibly busy so please plan ahead and give yourself extra time to make journeys.
“The Bee Network app and website will be the best places to get the latest travel information and tap and go contactless payments are the quickest and easiest way to pay.”
You can see all the road closures for the Manchester Half Marathon HERE.
Inside the beautiful, exclusive gym in the heart of Manchester that’s open to the public for the first time ever
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s most exclusive and comprehensive boutique gyms has opened its doors to the public for the first time.
This hidden fitness space is within the Treehouse Hotel, which opened on a prime spot on Deansgate last year.
The beautiful gym space had only been accessible to hotel guests until now, who have been lucky to train on top-spec equipment while visiting Manchester.
But now Treehouse Hotel is welcoming in the wider public to The Playground, with a strictly limited number of memberships up for grabs – and we’ve got a lovely 50% off discount code for you too (more on that below).
With two membership options to choose from, members can enjoy 24/7 gym access, preferential rates on padel court hire and complimentary access to premium recovery equipment, alongside luxury changing facilities.
The space looks beautiful as well as being functional too, with huge skylights overhead and plenty of greenery on the walls.
At a time when Manchester is seeing changes to its boutique fitness scene, The Playground offers a chance to train in a design-led space that has everything you need to prioritise your health and fitness.
Inside The Playground gym at Treehouse Hotel. Credit: The Manc Group
The Technogym equipment inside The Playground at Treehouse Hotel includes two squat racks, cable machines, a leg press, free weights, a full suite of cardio equipment including stairmaster, rower and treadmills, plus a full track with a sled.
There’s also a studio area in one corner, with digital workouts ranging from pilates to HIIT.
And in the recovery zone, members can make use of Therabody RecoveryAir compression boots and Theragun massage devices, placing recovery on equal footing with performance.
There are two membership options available at The Playground, catering to different fitness and wellness needs.
Sprout Membership – £65 per month
The Sprout Membership includes 24/7 gym access, preferential rates on padel court hire throughout the week and complimentary use of the recovery equipment, including pneumatic compression boots and massage guns. Members can also enjoy private changing facilities, complimentary chilled towels and fresh fruit-infused water.
Treetop Membership – £80 per month
For those looking to make wellness a bigger part of their routine, the Treehouse Membership includes everything in the Sprout package, alongside a range of additional benefits.
Members receive 15% off Good Sauna sessions and plunge baths, as well as exclusive discounts on padel bookings, with 15% off weekday and 10% off weekend bookings.
The membership also includes discounts on selected wellness food, drinks and products, as well as one complimentary freshly prepared smoothie every month.
Theraguns in the recovery zoneMore machines at The Treehouse hotelGreat facilities in The Playground
With 24/7 access to the gym, additional wellness benefits and a premium recovery offering, The Playground provides a new way to stay active in the heart of Manchester.
You can get a whopping 50% off for your first month’s subscription with our code ‘THEMANC’.
The officer is valid for purchases made until 31 October 2026.
Danny Jones -
15th May 2024 
