Pep Guardiola makes bold moves, 3 key Man City players unexpectedly lose their spots

Coach Pep Guardiola continues to surprise with his Manchester City lineup decisions by benching Ederson and excluding Ilkay Gundogan and Manuel Akanji from the match squad, casting doubt on the future of this trio.

Man City entered their first home game at Etihad Stadium this season after a dominant 4-0 win over Wolves in the previous round. However, the goalkeeper position remains with James Trafford, while Ederson, who has been the club’s first-choice goalkeeper for nearly a decade, was left out.

The arrival of Trafford has shifted the balance in Man City’s goalkeeping department. Last week, Ederson was rested due to illness, but in reality, the club is preparing to let him go amid Galatasaray’s active pursuit of the Brazilian keeper.

Since joining from Benfica for £35 million in 2017, Ederson has kept 168 clean sheets and played a crucial role in Man City’s remarkable success, including 15 major trophies, highlighted by the 2023 Champions League title and six Premier League wins.

However, his place in Pep Guardiola’s squad is no longer guaranteed.

Gundogan and Akanji share the same fate

Not only Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan, a player who once enjoyed a glorious period at Etihad, is also not registered for matches. Despite automatically extending his contract due to minutes played last season and expressing his desire to stay, the emergence of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders (both scoring on their debuts) has pushed the German midfielder down the pecking order for starting spots.

Defender Manuel Akanji was also left out of the squad. Notably, Galatasaray is reportedly interested in the Swiss player, and his representatives have not denied the possibility of a transfer, according to Manchester Evening News.

In the match against Tottenham, Pep Guardiola included several other names on the bench such as Nathan Ake, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rodri, and Matheus Nunes. Even Phil Foden was not selected to start.

The Spanish tactician explained that his current squad is overloaded following the summer transfer window. Guardiola said: “Too many players, too many people. I want a squad with enough depth to compete on all fronts, but I also don’t want to leave players at home. That’s bad for morale. You can’t create a positive competitive atmosphere if too many people are left out.”

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