The Club captain recently revealed he gathered the players together on New Year’s Day for a frank discussion after Pep Guardiola expressed his unhappiness with a below par training session.
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With City adrift of the Premier League summit, Fernandinho reminded his team-mates what was expected of them.
The result? We delivered one of our most impressive performances to beat Chelsea 3-1 in the next game.
Ederson believes the significance of that moment cannot be underestimated and says the meeting helped City evolve into a team that remains on course to win the treble.
“It was good for the group,” the goalkeeper said.
“The team needed that chat. Everybody talked and Fernandinho, as captain, as leader of this team, was very important for that meeting and for the evolution of the team this season too.
“It was a good gesture on his behalf, and it helped us a lot to grow up as a team.”
Victory over Chelsea on Saturday would see City claim a third Premier League title in four years.
Guardiola’s squad have been remarkably consistent in this, the most demanding of seasons, but despite our superb form, it has not been without its challenges.
Hampered by the lack of pre-season, we found ourselves 11th and eight points off the top of the table after the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in November, but Ederson feels tough times brought out the best in the team.
“We got together even more, we worked harder, we gave the best of us both in training sessions and at the games,” he added.
“That paid off. The team must be proud for the performances and for everything we have won this season.”
There has been an artistry to City’s play under Guardiola, with free-flowing attacking football the trademark of the Catalan’s era.
However, this season our defence have been widely praised.
We have conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League and Ederson has kept 18 clean sheets, two more than he managed in 2019/20 when he claimed the golden glove.
The Brazilian admits City have improved at the back and says it has allowed Guardiola’s men to achieve greater consistency.
“The team is better defensively this season, more consistent than in previous seasons,” said the 27-year-old.
“Ruben Dias had a big impact on the team and the club, but also the rest of the players in the defensive line experienced huge growth.
“Our defensive improvement was a key factor for our success this season. The defensive work, the consistency, that helps a lot in the results we are having.”
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