Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson will look to be back between the posts ahead of their Club World Cup match with Juventus
Stefan Ortega Moreno (L) of Manchester City poses with Ederson and Scott Carson and the Super Cup trophy
Scott Carson was an important voice at Manchester City
Manchester City will be reminded of the dark days of last season when they take to the field against Juventus in the Club World Cup.
While Pep Guardiola and his players are doing their best to put the last 12 months behind them, the sight of those black-and-white stripes will plunge them back to December when nothing could go right.
That evening in Turin was particularly miserable for Ederson, who had been brought back in from the cold. The Brazilian went haywire during the collapse against Feyenoord, prompting Guardiola to go with the safety of Stefan Ortega for subsequent games that included the high-profile trip to Liverpool.
Ederson went straight back into the line-up against Juventus and made a few excellent saves, but with a weak defence in front of him he also could have done better with the two goals that did go past him. It summed up a season where even the good things players did were forgotten because they weren't enough to get good results.
Six months later, things haven't got much more comfortable in the goalkeeping department. Guardiola has tentatively suggested that both Ederson and Ortega will remain, yet both have had interest in them and neither feels certain to stay.
With one start each so far in the Club World Cup, it will be interesting to see who gets the nod in goal for Juventus as City look to get the win that will confirm top spot in the group and likely avoid a last-16 showdown with Real Madrid. Ederson has his critics, but it is worth remembering Scott Carson's view from the inside after his long career in the game.
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“He’s one of the best, if not the best I‘ve worked with," he told the Manchester Evening News in 2021. "When I go through all those I have worked with, there are things you can pick holes in, but Eddy is right up there because all-round he’s top-class.
“Everyone knows how good his feet are but he comes in every morning, is in the gym and works hard on the training ground, always wanting to improve. I can’t speak highly enough of him.”
Even amid the uncertainty last season, the 31-year-old still produced four Premier League assists - more than any goalkeeper has managed in a single season in the history of the competition. It is only one game, but it feels like it would be to City's benefit if Juventus proves to be a cathartic night for Ederson as much as the team to mark another settled period with him as No.1 at the club.
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