Pep Guardiola launches defence of Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma but admits there's one thing he 'cannot do like Ederson'

While Donnarumma's ability between the sticks cannot be denied, his perceived shortcomings in distribution led many people to question whether Guardiola would follow through on a transfer after the Cityzens were linked with the keeper in the summer. 

The Sky Blues would eventually pull the trigger on a £26m ($35m) transfer for the 26-year-old, after he was deemed surplus to requirements in Paris despite helping Luis Enrique's side to their first Champions League title. Les Parisiens opted to put their faith in Lucas Chevalier, with the 24-year-old's €40m (£34.5m/$47m) switch signed off in part due to his superior distribution. 

City made the space for Donnarumma on their books by offloading Ederson to Fenerbahce for £10m ($12m). The Brazilian is viewed as one of the best passers from the goalkeeping position in world football. 

Given Guardiola's history of preferring keepers renowned for their passing ability — most notably signing Claudio Bravo to replace Joe Hart shortly after taking the job at City in 2016 — his decision to sign Donnarumma raised some eyebrows. However, given these comments, it's clear the three-time Champions League winning coach thinks his new number 1 is not getting the respect he deserves. 

In a pre-match press conference ahead of the Sky Blues FA Cup tie with Exeter City, Guardiola said: "Donnarumma is really really good in the tempo for the short passes. 

"He cannot shoot the long pass like Ederson but no other keeper has that Ederson pass. But Gigio is really good in the composure, the first control, taking decisions and the short (passing), he’s much, much better than people think."

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Questions around Donnarumma's passing ability were to be expected, given how important build-up play has been to Guardiola's teams, and Ederson's outstanding ability on the ball. 

A comparison of the two player's stats from last season show a clear discrepancy. Ederson attempted significantly more passes (31.7 vs 23.4 per/90 minutes) in the 2024/25 season. The Brazilian also fired more long balls (9.4 vs 6), with higher accuracy (57.92% vs 44.6%) than Donnarumma in his final season in the French capital. 

Since joining City, Donnrumma has not been asked to be on the ball as much as his predecessor, with the Italian attempting 25.5 pass per game. However, his credentials as one of the best traditional shot stopper has been confirmed, with the Italian boasting 71.7% save percentage in the Premier League this term. 

Guardiola clearly has faith in his new number one, despite some questions around his discipline, as well as his passing skills. The Spaniard refused to be drawn into criticising the player after he amassed four yellow cards in his first ten league games for the club, while he also played peace maker after the Italian was drawn into a scuffle during their recent 1-1 draw away to Sunderland. 

City will need the 26-year-old to demonstrate his brilliance between the sticks if they are to keep the pace in the title chase. The Sky Blues are currently six points behind Arsenal in the Premier League. With one eye on their upcoming league fixtures, Donnarumma drops to the bench for the Cityzens' FA Cup third round tie against Exeter City, with James Trafford deputising.