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Stones: Senior stars guiding City through tense run-in

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 29 Apr 2019

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Manchester City are experiencing a very different Premier League run-in this season, with John Stones revealing they have had to lean on the likes of Vincent Kompany for guidance.

City cruised to the title in 2017-18, yet they look set to be pushed all the way by Liverpool this term, with Pep Guardiola’s men just a point ahead with two games remaining.

Stones was one of a number of City players to win the league for the first time last season and so he, along with several team-mates, has not previously had to deal with the presence of a rival like Liverpool.

However, Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero have held off Manchester United and Liverpool in the past and boast invaluable experience.

“It’s a different scenario. Last season, the league was done by now,” Stones said. “It’s a strange situation because some of us haven’t been in this situation before.

“I think Vinny said said that these are the times when it brings the best out of you as a player. But he, David, Sergio and a few of the others have been in this situation before – so they know what the feeling is, how to get the best out of it.

“We’ve got to be guided by those and we try to take everything in. It makes everything exciting, keeps everyone on our toes.

“If you ask me if I’d prefer to win it like last season, I’d say yes. But it’s the situation that we are in and one we’re really enjoying, trying to go with the flow, take everything in and keep putting the performances in.

“I wouldn’t say it’s keeping us motivated – because everyone is motivated to win and lift the Premier League – but it’s making us hungrier to keep winning, keep the pressure on and keep fighting until we can’t any more. It’s exciting to be part of it.”

Stones believes winning back-to-back titles means more than getting one over on Liverpool.

“It’ll be special because it will be back to back, not because we’ve been pushed by Liverpool,” he said.

“I think it’s better for the football fans in general that it’s gone so late in the season and nobody has won it yet. We could be fighting right down until the last game.

“But for me, I’d say it’d be more special as it would be back to back – that’s so difficult to do, with every game and every competition we’ve been in, it makes it more special in that sense.”

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