Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has pinpointed the key reason Arsenal are not the Premier League champions right now. City faced Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday night in what many considered the title decider. Arsenal were hoping their North London rivals could help them out, but Erling Haaland’s brace secured the win for Guardiola’s side, putting them in a strong position for the title.

Historically, Manchester City has struggled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Guardiola never having won a Premier League game there before last night. The visitors got off to a shaky start, and Spurs dominated large portions of the match. They had several good chances, including a prime opportunity for Dejan Kulusevski and a golden chance for Tottenham captain Heung-min Son.

Son found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper after a Manchester City defensive error, and the crowd expected a goal. However, Stefan Ortega, who had replaced Ederson in the second half, made a brilliant save to deny Son. 

Guardiola acknowledged after the game that had Ortega not made that save, Arsenal would likely be the champions.

He stated in his post-match press conference, as reported by Beanyman Sports: “I would say, how is the team a team? It’s because Ortega saved the actions, otherwise Arsenal are the champions.

“That is the reality in modern football. The margins are so, so, so tight.”

Manchester City acquired Stefan Ortega on a free transfer from Arminia Bielefeld in the summer of 2022. The 31-year-old was brought in as a backup for Ederson and was content with that role, never expected to be the first choice at the club.

However, Ederson’s injury problems have given Ortega numerous opportunities to play, and he has consistently demonstrated his quality. Earning £55,000-a-week (according to Spotrac), the German goalkeeper was the standout performer against Tottenham. He made several impressive saves, and his crucial stop to deny Heung-min Son is a key reason Arsenal are not leading the title race.

Commenting on Ortega’s skill in one-on-one situations, Guardiola remarked that he is one of the best goalkeepers he has ever seen.

He said: “Stefan made an incredible save. He has this talent. In one-against-one, he is one of the best keepers I’ve ever seen in my life.

“He’s an incredible, incredible keeper. So the club and our keeper trainer made an incredible decision to bring him here, Incredible!”