John Stones admitted his past mistake of underestimating a particular Arsenal player, acknowledging after their recent match that no one currently compares to him in his role. Reflecting on Manchester City’s 5-1 defeat to Arsenal, Stones revealed that this player was the biggest threat to their defense throughout the game—not Trossard or Havertz.
Following the heavy loss, Stones apologized to City’s traveling fans for the disappointing performance, describing the team’s dressing room as highly emotional. Arsenal took an early lead through Martin Ødegaard and nearly doubled their advantage soon after. City responded with an Erling Haaland header shortly after halftime, but their equalizer was short-lived as Thomas Partey’s shot deflected off Stones into the net.
From that point, City collapsed, conceding further goals to Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and Ethan Nwaneri. Speaking to Sky Sports, a dejected Stones admitted that the team takes losses hard and acknowledged their performance in the final 30 minutes was unacceptable.
“We take pride in our game, and that was not who we are,” he said.
City have now conceded 35 Premier League goals this season—more than in their entire previous campaign and even more than struggling rivals Manchester United. Stones described the post-match atmosphere as emotional and frustrating, blaming their defensive lapses and inability to control possession.
Manager Pep Guardiola echoed Stones’ concerns, agreeing that his team failed to contain Arsenal in key areas. While he praised their performance for the first 60 minutes, he admitted they were exposed in the final stretch.
Stones closed by addressing City fans directly: “Through the highs and lows, we owe it to them to turn things around.”
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