- Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday
- Gianluigi Donnarumma’s error gifted Arsenal an equaliser
- Pep Guardiola still backs the City goalkeeper
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has publicly defended goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after the Italian’s error cost his side an equaliser in Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League victory over Arsenal.
Goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland were enough for the hosts to claim a vital win at the Etihad Stadium, and reduce the gap at the top of the table to just three points.
The result means City, who visit Burnley on Wednesday, will claim top spot for the first time since August if they beat the Clarets at Turf Moor.
Sunday’s win against Arsenal was therefore massively important in the title race, but a costly error from Donnarumma meant the Sky Blues nearly threw away the victory.
Gianluigi Donnarumma’s mistake almost cost Manchester City
With City taking the lead after 16 minutes thanks to Rayan Cherki’s incredible opener, Guardiola would have been hoping to see his side take control.
However, they would concede just two minutes later after Donnarumma’s costly error. The Italian keeper took too long to clear Matheus Nunes’ throw-in, allowing Kai Havertz to close him down and the ball to deflect into the net.
A dejected Donnarumma fell to his knees as the Arsenal forward wheeled away in celebration, leaving the Sky Blues stunned just moments after they went ahead.
Pep Guardiola backs ‘incredible’ Donnarumma despite error
Speaking after the match, though, Guardiola fiercely defended his goalkeeper, highlighting Donnarumma’s importance and the reaction of the other Man City players around him.
The Catalan boss told Sky Sports how important it was for the team to gather round their keeper after the mistake, and how well his side responded to the setback.
We are City. ✊
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He said: “What I like is the reaction of his mates! They were there to help him, that is what we worked on this season incredibly!
“When I see the teams that concede a goal and everybody is complaining and everybody is for themselves, I don’t like it.
“And they were together, and after [he] helped us with incredible saves.”
Donnarumma’s impact across the season has been massive
While Sunday’s mistake was a rare brain-fade, the Donnarumma’s overall performances this season have been superb.
The 27-year-old joined from Paris Saint-Germain last summer for around £26 million, and has quickly proved why he is regarded as on of the world’s best keepers.
In the 29 Premier League games he’s played, City have conceded just 25 goals, while Donnarumma is currently second in the Golden Glove race with 12 clean sheets, behind only Arsenal’s David Raya, with 15.
Donnarumma’s impact has been huge, and his saves could yet prove the difference in tight games as the Cityzens chase down another Premier League title.
