sport news MAN CITY NOTEBOOK: Stefan Ortega wants summer resolution on his future, City's ... trends now
Manchester City are fortunate not to have felt the absence of Ederson over the past few weeks in the way other clubs might have.
The goalkeeper was always facing a race against time to recover from a thigh injury, sustained away at Liverpool, ahead of the Arsenal draw last weekend but that he remained out for the 4-1 victory against Aston Villa was something of a surprise.
Stefan Ortega again performed admirably in his place – with Jhon Duran’s equaliser for Villa the first time the No 2 had conceded in 272 minutes. His superb save from Douglas Luiz when City led 2-1 played a major role Pep Guardiola’s team taking the game away from the visitors.
There will be decisions to make on Ortega’s future though. Mail Sport has been told that he has reached an impasse with the Premier League champions over a new contract, with discussions having been ongoing for well over six months.
There are understood to be differences over the financial terms and length of the proposed deal, while the German, 31, wants the opportunity to be a No 1 at the highest level possible.
Stefan Ortega has impressed for Man City in the absence of Ederson, making several key saves
But City's No 2 is yet to extend his contract and wants his future resolved by the summer
Ortega now believes he requires a resolution to his situation by the summer, which will take him to within 12 months of his current contract expiring.
The former Arminia Bielefeld stopper recently purchased a new property in Hamburg but that is believed to be an investment as a family summer home rather than an indication on career steps.
Split shift for City starsGuardiola called his players into training at the City Football Academy for a morning session before beating Villa.
Guardiola wanted to do extra work on the tactical side of City’s game in the wake of their performance against Arsenal – and it paid off.
The Catalan has publicly said he’s happy enough with performances in recent weeks, and relayed as much to his players on Sunday.
But Guardiola must feel that there are extra gears to go through in this tense fight for the title with the Gunners and Liverpool.
The additional work had the desired effect, with City slicker than they had been in recent weeks – even without
