ERROR-PRONE CITY MAN BACKED BY PALACE PAIR
AFTER an afternoon to forget, it will be cold comfort to John Stones that the words of support came not from his current manager but an old boss and team-mate.
Yet in the absence of an arm around the shoulder from a clearly simmering Pep Guardiola, Roy Hodgson and Gary Cahill both insisted the centre-half remains one of the best.
For most, Stones seems a long way from the player Guardiola believed would be the cornerstone of City’s defence when he joined back in 2016. Still further from his excellent displays at the World Cup in Russia.
And while injury has impacted on his fitness and form, this season he has been overlooked at centre-half by a manager who has favoured a converted midfielder – Fernandinho – instead of a £50million England man.
Stones’ role in Crystal Palace’s goals – the match opener and the late equaliser – proved key here. And not in a way which endear him to a manager seemingly increasingly frustrated with his output and expecting Aymeric Laporte back from injury next week.
Six minutes before the break Stones was beaten too easily by Cahill in the air as he provided the assist to Cenk Tosun’s goal.
With 90 minutes up and Sergio Aguero’s two superb finishes having hauled City in front, Stones allowed Wilfried Zaha to freewheel unchecked into the area then square the ball, which Fernandinho turned into his goal.
Palace boss Hodgson pointed to Stones’s relative youth – he is 25 – and maintained that his best years were still ahead.
“I still think that John Stones is every bit what we expected him to be,” he said. “But he’s playing in a very important goldfish bowl at the moment. Every mistake or good thing is magnified 10 times.
“He’s a player City and England will have good use from in the future but it’s for Pep to decide.”
Stones would not lack suitors should he decide he would be better served by a future away from City. And having endured a similar dip in fortunes at Chelsea, Cahill is well placed to comment given a career bounce this season.
“John has had a couple of injuries which haven’t helped, but he is a very talented footballer and a great defender,” said Cahill.
“I’m sure he has a thick enough skin to deal with it.What you have to remember is on one of the biggest stages he was terrific.
“Like everyone, if you are given the opportunity to consistently play 10, 11 or 12 games you take your average from there. Then it will be down to him, but he has done it enough times to get a big move, so I hope he does well.”
Stones has only twice strung together such runs of games in his three-and-a-half seasons at City, the last of which was in 2017.
Saturday did little to suggest another is around the corner.
MAN CITY (4-3-3): Ederson 6; Cancelo 5, Stones 4, Fernandinho 5, Mendy 8; De Bruyne 7, Gundogan 6, Bernardo 6 (Mahrez 73 5); Sterling 4 (Rodri 89), Aguero 8, D Silva 4 (Jesus 62 6). Goals: Aguero 82, 87.
CRYSTAL PALACE (4-5-1): Guaita 6; Kelly 7, Tomkins 7, Cahill 7, Riedewald 7 (Ward 88); Ayew 7, Kouyate 7, McArthur 6, McCarthy 6, Zaha 7; Tosun 7 (Wickham 81).
Goals: Tosun 39, Fernandinho 90 og.