For the fourth time this season, the German keeper was summoned from the bench in a key Premier League game, coming on to replace the injured Ederson just after the hour mark at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with City holding a slender 1-0 advantage.
On an occasion that carried the utmost importance and significance in terms of the destination of the league crown, Ortega Moreno was thrust straight into the spotlight making two key blocks in as many minutes to deny Spurs’ substitute Dejan Kulusevski.
And with five minutes remaining and the game still on a knife edge, the keeper produced even greater heroics in standing firm to deny Son Heung-Min after Spurs’ South Korean striker had broken through on his own.
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It was a massive moment in the game and season with Erling Haaland subsequently adding a 91st minute penalty to his earlier opener and so seal the win that moved City within three points of an historic fourth straight title.
“Stefan Ortega Moreno kept Manchester City in the game, in the title race and arguably he might have won them the league with those saves from Dejan Kulesevski and Son Heung-Min,” said former City and England midfielder Christiansen who was a special guest on Tuesday’s Matchday Live show.
“When Son goes through and Kulesevski goes through, those saves came at a really crucial point in the game when City were 1-0 up.
“Also to have the psychology to come on and be ready to perform in such big, big moments says a lot about his mentality and the depth of the squad.
“And also, about the decision-making Pep has had to make. He had no doubts about taking is first choice goalkeeper off as a precaution and then putting his second goalkeeper on.
“A lot of managers in this league would maybe have had doubts abut that because of the potential moments that were going to occur.
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“But it just goes to show what a keeper Stefan Ortega Moreno is.
“Without a doubt he has played a massive part in what could be a fourth straight league title.”
Christiansen’s warm words of praise were echoed by Nedum Onuoha, who was our fellow special guest on Tuesday night’s edition of Matchday Live.
The former City defender admitted he feared the worst when Son Heung-Min burst through in a one-on-one with Ortega Moreno but said the keeper’s response was exemplary.
“That moment with Son was like a horror movie,” Onuoha reflected.
“You are thinking about the 10 months that leads to this point and now everything could just burst because Son Heung-Min is running through one-on-one and he’s one of the best finishers one-on-one in this league and in world football.
“You were sensing this has happened to us before at Spurs and it’s going to happen again.
“But what I liked about Ortega Moreno was the fact that he was biding his time.
“He wasn’t going to rush a decision as to where maybe Son could go round him.
“And he would have seen video of Son and the type of finishes that he likes.
“Even the fact he stuck out a leg to save it… not every keeper would try and save a one-on-one that way.
“It shows it’s not just about the outfielders – he saved every one of those three big chance, and he saved every one of them and it showed how much of a team effort it was.
“That clean sheet was massive.”
