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          Man City vs. Liverpool: Zack Steffen tries to replicate Ederson goal-line clearance with disastrous results

          • ESPN
          Apr 16, 2022, 03:16 PM

          Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen had a moment to forget in the FA Cup semifinal against Liverpool on Saturday (stream LIVE at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.).

          Steffen, playing ahead of usual No. 1 Ederson for City in the cup games, gifted the Reds a second goal after dawdling on the ball before being closed down by Sadio Mane, only to see the ball divert into the net.

          The United States international could only hang his head after the error, but City fans almost saw something similar the last time the two teams met in the Premier League last week.

          Hearts were in mouths at one point during the 2-2 draw on April 11 when Ederson's attempt to coolly play out from the back came within inches of backfiring on him.

          With Liverpool forward Diogo Jota bearing down on him at pace, Ederson took a heavy touch under pressure and almost steered the ball across his own goal line, only to side-foot the ball clear to a teammate in the nick of time.

          Despite his hair-raising brush with calamity, the Brazil international was able to make light of the incident in the aftermath as he posted a still image of his goal-line clearance along with a thumbs-up emoji.

          We can only hope that Steffen is able to do the same eventually, as social media could not believe what it saw.

          A possible explanation won't make it feel any better.

          And Steffen has struggled in FA Cup games before.