Man City’s goalkeeping strategy will pay dividends, says Gunn

Manchester City’s reserve keeper Angus Gunn insists everyone in the Premier League should be embracing Pep Guardiola’s philosophy of having a ball-playing goalkeeper.

The Spanish manager was under a bit of pressure at the beginning of the month after back-to-back league defeats to Leicester City and title-rivals Chelsea, but wins over Arsenal and Watford have lifted the tension at the Etihad Stadium.

Claudio Bravo remains Guardiola’s No.1 keeper, despite a couple of high-profile errors this term, largely due to his ability to play the ball with his feet which is a strategy the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager favours.

And Gunn, who acts as a back-up stopper to Bravo and Willy Caballero having initially joined the club’s academy back in 2011, insists the rewards far outweigh the risks.

“Sometimes it can get a bit nervy when the opposition team come close to our box,” he said.

“But that’s the sort of pressure the coaches and the manager want us to be under and want us to get through because then that gives us a better chance of attacking at the other end.

“Obviously, it’s English football and people aren’t used to it, but the sooner they get used to it the more enjoyable the game will be for them.

“It creates more space for the people in front to score goals.

“Obviously, not every team is going to come out and press. Chelsea, for example, sat back and counter-attacked, so that poses a different threat.

“Teams that press us, we want to get through them to score goals. That’s the main thought behind it. It’s not to look good – it’s to create more chances at the other end.”