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:
Stockport County release second drop in retro range as classic ‘Romania’ shirt is revived
Danny Jones
Stockport County FC have released the latest drop in their collection of retro football kits and casualwear, resurrecting the legendary ‘Romania’ shirt as the centrepiece of the new range of old school casualwear.
If you’re a die-hard Hatter, we don’t need to tell what jersey we mean or how iconic it is within the club’s rich heritage.
We are, of course, talking about the 1996/97 third strip that County players and Stockport supporters alike donned in their droves during their historic EFL Cup run.
Teaming with local town centre hotspots SK1 Records and Underbank bar, The Spin Off, for an official launch event, here’s how they debuted it to the public:
It’s anyone’s guess as to which throwback fit they’ll go with next or whether they’ll simply complete the 96/97 revival, but it’s safe to say that both have gone down a treat with the local community.
Revolving around the bright and unforgettable yellow, blue and red jersey itself – the shirt that County had to swap into before they went on to knockout then-established Premier League side Blackburn Rovers away at Ewood Park – the colourway is just as bold as ever.
Here’s a closer look at the second County Classics kit:
It’s no surprise that just like the previous instalment, replicas have been snapped up in no time, as indeed has their current third kit for the 2025/26 campaign, which also pays homage to their history.
Dave Challinor’s side hosts Stevenage Town at Edgeley Park this Saturday, 13 December, before taking on Mansfield away the following weekend – you can expect a fair few Hatters to be wearing the third strip (both the original and the re-issue) at each.
You can see more from this second edition in the County Classic range down below; all of the items are now on sale, and find out how much each piece from the full collection costs HERE.
Featured Images — Stockport County Football Club (supplied)
Sport
Former Salford Red Devils player planning phoenix club after the team’s collapse
Danny Jones
A former Salford Red Devils player is planning to start a phoenix club from the ashes of the fallen rugby league team.
Retired winger Mason Caton-Brown, who played for the Red Devils between 2014 and 2016, is leading the consortium currently being linked with resurrecting the Salford side.
The Greater Manchester sporting institution sadly folded following liquidation on 3 December after a prolonged period of uncertainty and crippling debts.
Despite investors promising funds and multiple adjournments to their winding-up ceremony, time simply ran out and now Caton-Brown and co. are, hopefully, looking to pick up the pieces.
Heading up the move to bring back the beloved outfit, the former chairman of the ‘Forever Reds Supporters Trust’ (FRST), Malcolm Crompton, local entrepreneurs Paul Hancock and Ashley Washington are also assisting with the proposal.
Simply known as ‘The Phoenix Bid’, they are said to have potentially secured a six-figure sum and have already reached some provisional pre-contract agreements with a new coach and several players ahead of the formal offer being taken into consideration.
Publishing a lengthy mission statement on social media earlier this week, the ex-pro wrote: “I moved to Salford from London over 10 years ago, and the club and city welcomed me with open arms.
“It made me who I am today. The Salford City community is like no other, and the club is a big part of that, so when I saw it was at risk of going under, I truly felt the need to be a part of a solution and give back to the club, city and the community.
“But I’m not on my own, I’m part of a team of people that are passionate about what this club means and truly focused on making sure a true Salford RLFC stays alive and is something the fans and the city can call their own.”
Chatting with BBC Sport Manchester in a recent interview, the 32-year-old Enfield-born athlete turned businessman – who also represented the London Broncos and Wakefield Trinity – claims that conversations with investors and stakeholders are progressing nicely.
🗣️ "We are looking to bring this club back to life"
Former Salford winger Mason Caton-Brown has outlined his plans for a new phoenix club.
Salford fans, make sure to listen back to last night's Total Sport.
Signing off the post with a strong assurance, he said: “If our bid is successful, I promise we will do everything we can to protect the club and build a future Salford can be proud of.”
As for the fans, a spokesperson for the aforementioned supporters’ trust dubbed the prospective personnel spearheading the revival as a “powerful and credible team”, with Caton-Brown promising to reveal all the exciting details if the bid gets green-lit.
Speaking in an official press release shared with The Manc, the one-time Jamaican international and adopted Salfordian added: “This isn’t just about rebuilding a club, it’s about rebuilding belief.
“Salford means everything to me as a club and is part of my story. We want to create something the city can be proud of again; a club that stands for honesty, sustainability, and genuine community connection.”
“We’re inviting the people of Salford to stand with us. Together we can rise again, not just to bring rugby league back to this city, but to make sure it thrives for generations to come.”
Do you think The Phoenix Bid will be successful and, more importantly, do you think this group are the right people to bring the club back and get them moving onwards and upwards again?
Danny Jones -
15th May 2024 
