- Man City goalkeeper Donnarumma addressed the Chelsea challenge
- The Italian openly acknowledged title pressure
- Just like his manager, the 27-year-old expects a positive result
The margin for error has officially evaporated. As Manchester City travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The pressure of a relentless Premier League title race is beginning to weigh heavy on the shoulders of those at the top. For Gianluigi Donnarumma, however, this is exactly the environment he traded Paris for.
The Italian international, who has become a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola’s defensive unit since his high-profile move from PSG, has been speaking candidly about the “destiny” of the trophy.
With Arsenal currently setting a blistering pace at the summit, the former Milan star knows that City’s upcoming fixtures starting with the trip to the capital against Liam Rosenior side will define their season.
Donnarumma’s absence from the starting XI in City’s recent clashes against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final 2-0 triumph and in the 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool in the Emirates FA Cup quarter Final raised eyebrows among the blue half of Manchester.
While Guardiola opted for tactical shifts in those stalemates, the 27-year-old is widely expected to be restored between the sticks this weekend while academy graduate James Trafford has impressed when called upon in domestic cup competitions.
However, for a game of this magnitude, Donnarumma’s experience under the brightest lights is viewed as indispensable.
The Naples native was part of the Italian team that didn’t make the World Cup. Despite the setback, Donnarumma is now seemingly focused on Man City’s title hopes.
The goalkeeper recently gave his two cents regarding the title race. He mentioned the lack of control and the expectations of a positive result.
Donnarumma talks about Man City title race pressure
The Citizens face Chelsea today in what could be a title-defining clash. After Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth, the Sky Blues will be expecting to close the nine-point gap that stands between them and the Gunners.
He sat down with the club’s official website to discuss the mounting pressure at the summit of the table. With City locked in a fierce battle to hunt down Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Donnarumma was candid about the challenges that lie ahead at Stamford Bridge.
“You feel it. The destiny is no longer in our hands, but we will try to hang on until the end and put pressure on them, but these two games for us [Chelsea and Arsenal] are important.”
“It’s always going to be a complicated game [at Chelsea]. It will be a difficult game because going there to play is never easy”, the Italian told Man City.
“We hope to get a great result because it’s very important for us for the title race.”
The Italian’s recent performances
Manchester City’s march toward the summit has hit a surprising stumbling block in recent weeks. Despite maintaining their clinical edge in cup competitions, Pep Guardiola’s side have stuttered to back-to-back draws in the Premier League, leaving the blues with plenty of soul-searching to do ahead of their trip to the capital.
The recent 1-1 stalemate against West Ham United and a chaotic 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest have stunted City’s momentum.
While the focus often falls on the frontline, it was a rare moment of fallibility from the City number one that stole the headlines against the Hammers.
In East London, a costly misjudgement from the Italian shot-stopper directly handed the hosts their opener. Coming out to claim a looping cross, the keeper miscalculated the flight of the ball, allowing it to sail over his head and gifted a header into an entirely unguarded net. It was a lapse in concentration that looked out of character for a player of his stature.
The following outing against Forest proved equally frustrating. Despite City dominating possession, the opposition were clinical, converting two of their only four shots on target.
While the first was an audacious back-heel from Morgan Gibbs-White who managed to find the net despite being pinned by Ruben Dias it was the second goal that truly silenced the away end.
The Elliot Anderson factor
That second strike came courtesy of Elliot Anderson, who produced a moment of genuine Premier League quality with a brilliant, curling finish into the far corner. It was a goal that felt like a “come and get me” plea to the City hierarchy, especially given the ongoing links between the Etihad and the Forest playmaker.
Rumours have intensified in recent weeks that Guardiola is keeping a close eye on the 23-year-old as a potential long-term addition to the City midfield. His ability to produce game-changing moments under pressure has clearly caught the eye of the Blues recruitment team, and his performance against his potential suitors did nothing to quieten those whispers.
World Cup is off the table
With the World Cup not on Donnarumma’s calendar, there is only one goal that needs his attention. City’s challenge for the title is going to be his focus for the rest of the season.
The FA Cup semi-finals will also take place this month, but James Trafford will probably be the goalkeeper who’ll make the starts there.
The Sky Blues face Arsenal after the Chelsea clash, and the club will be looking ahead to make use of the Italian’s consistently low-variance performances to aim for the title.
