Pep Guardiola has defended Ederson after the Manchester City goalkeeper gifted Manchester United both of their goals in a historic defeat for the Spanish manager.
First the Brazilian shot-stopper allowed an Anthony Martial shot to go through his hands after the Frenchman and Bruno Fernandes executed a cute free kick routine.
As time ran out Ederson played a heedless pass straight to Scott McTominay. The United substitute pounced eagerly, passing the ball into an empty net from more than 30 metres from goal.
Pep stood by his “exceptional” ‘keeper after the game, suggesting that his saves had kept the Blues close to their local rivals.
"He saved one or two, he's an exceptional goalkeeper,” the former Barcelona coach told Sky Sports after the game.
“I don't come to judge my players, mistakes are part of the game. He will recover and is an exceptional goalkeeper."
The defeat to United, the second in the league and third overall this season, leaves City a massive 25 points behind Liverpool, who need to gain only six points, as things stand, to take the Premier League crown from Guardiola’s men.
That title seems next to impossible to defend but Ederson and City can still win a trio of cup titles.
They’ve already won the Carabao Cup, though backup goalie Claudio Bravo took the gloves in that competition.
They still have a chance to defend their FA Cup trophy and will take on Newcastle in the quarter-finals on March 21.
They face Real Madrid in the Champions League, the only trophy to elude them under Guardiola, four days before that match.
They have a 2-1 lead in that tie, following a momentous comeback win in the Santiago Bernabeu.
Guardiola has said that failure to win Europe’s most prestigious club tournament would mean his glittering spell in charge at the Etihad would be seen as a failure.
The Catalan has won the trophy twice before, with his hometown team, Barcelona, in 2010 and 2011.
He did not do so at Bayern Munich and has been eliminated at the quarter-final stage in each of the last two seasons at City.