Stefan Ortega was the unlikely hero on Wednesday night as Manchester City took a giant step towards a fourth consecutive Premier League title with victory at Tottenham Hotspur.
The German international started the game on the bench, but a head injury to Ederson following a collision with Cristian Romero saw him enter the fray in the second half.
Man City, who were leading by a single goal at the time the substitution was made, came under pressure from Spurs in the final half hour, but Ortega pulled off a series of top-class saves to keep the host’s out
Son Heung-min seemed destined to equalise as he bore down on goal, but the goalkeeper made a huge stop to deny the Korean. He followed that up with two big saves against Dejan Kulusevski, earning him the Player of the Match award as the visitors went on to win 2-0 thanks to a brace from Erling Haaland.
“Today was incredible, the character. We know it wasn’t the best game but we must talk about the substitutions,” Rodri told Sky Sports after the final whistle.
“Stefan Ortega was simply incredible and we have the best goalkeeper in the world.
The Spaniard added: “We know it’s not done yet. We need the people behind us.”
Man City manager Pep Guardiola went a step further in his praise for the 31-year-old. “He is a world-class keeper. He’s an exceptional, exceptional keeper,” he told BBC Match of the Day.
Former Man City defender Micah Richards added his two cents to the goalkeeper’s performance. “The game was a little bit weird today, it was cautious at times with a few nerves going into it. But there’s always a big moment in a title race,” he said on Sky Sports.
“Ortega’s save from Son was absolutely magnificent. You see the spirit, the team, they have the know-how and the knowledge – and it was about whether they could put in a performance.”
The win leaves Man City on the cusp of the title as they sit two points ahead of Arsenal with one game remaining.
