Stones shows Adarabioyo how to do it as City humble Fulham
At Craven Cottage 0-3 Manchester City
Manchester City’s crisis was shortlived. Defeat in the local derby turned out to be a minor diversion on the procession to another title, this victory on the banks of the Thames offering yet further example of why Pep Guardiola’s side remain miles ahead of the rest.
Or rather that should be squad. As is his wont, the manager wrought changes on Saturday evening, ahead of knockout ties in the Champions League and FA Cup, taking the opportunity to rest some regulars and give game time to those less frequently spotted. Which made the subsequent stroll all the more chastening for counterpart Scott Parker.
With Raheem Sterling absent and Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez on the bench, Parker must have thought he had a chance of claiming the point that would have taken Fulham out of the relegation zone for the first time this season after he had picked up three at Liverpool the previous weekend.
But then City are not fading champions. They are a relentless, remorseless machine and will hawkishly punish any error. Three goals conceded from three mistakes at the start of the second half: it was a humbling experience for Fulham.
Parker insisted his players would learn from this. None more so than centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo. The City youth product had been at the heart of Fulham’s revival but, in the attempt to draw City forward to create space for the counter-attack, Adarabioyo was obliged constantly to play out from deep in his own area. It was almost inevitable that at some point he would be caught out. As he was when, in the attempt to beat the pressing Ferran Torres, he stumbled over the ball, lost possession and, trying to recover, conceded a penalty for City’s third goal.
“Young players will make mistakes,” Parker said. “What defines them is how quickly they can learn.”
For Adarabioyo the role model was there in the opposition. For a time John Stones was defined as much by his errors as by his successes. But he has re-emerged as England’s most influential, creative and reliable defender. Here he was magnificent: smooth and calm in his defending, quick and agile in his forays forward, scoring his fourth goal in the past 10 games. He looks certain to be recalled by England.
Adarabioyo has the raw materials eventually to stake a similar claim to an England spot. If he wants to learn how best that might be achieved, studying videos of Stones would be a good place to start.