The Everton goalkeeper played well against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.
Everton’s Maarten Stekelenburg
Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg has admitted to the club’s official website that he has never experienced a game like the one against Manchester City before.
The Blues traveled to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon looking to bounce back from their disappointing form before the international break.
It proved to be a tough afternoon for them, as they had to defend against waves of City attacks throughout the 90 minutes.
Everton ended up leaving with a point, largely thanks to the performance of goalkeeper Stekelenburg.
The Dutchman saved two penalties and made numerous other top saves to limit the home side to just one goal.
Everton’s Maarten Stekelenburg saves a penalty from Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne
It was an impressive display that earned plenty of plaudits, and he has admitted he has not experienced a game like it in his career.
“I’ve had busy afternoons but none like this. It doesn’t happen a lot. I’ve saved some penalties but never two in a game,” he told the club’s official website.
“I don’t think there’s really a secret to saving them. You just have to wait as long as possible and then go for the corner with 100 per cent. And then you need a little bit of luck as well.”
Everton’s Maarten Stekelenburg saves a penalty from Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero
While the focus following the game was on the goalkeeper’s superb display, he was keen to praise the performance of his teammates.
The Toffees were impressive in the game as they limited City to just the one goal despite the home side enjoying 72% possession.
The defensive display they put in was particularly notable as they showed the kind of defensive steel that has been sorely lacking in the last few years.
Stekelenburg was keen to praise the performance of the rest of the team despite his heroics taking the headlines.
“It was an amazing team performance. I think everybody, including the players who came in, did an amazing job and we can be proud of the result,” he added.
“If you come here, you know it’s going to be a tough afternoon and I think, especially in the first half, we did very well. They dominated the first half but I don’t think they really created a chance and I think we defended really well.”
Everton’s Maarten Stekelenburg applauds fans at full time
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