Manchester City defender John Stones expressed frustration and disappointment following his team’s crushing 5-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. The Premier League champions suffered a second-half collapse at the Emirates Stadium, leaving their title hopes in ruins.
City managed to level the score early in the second half when Erling Haaland canceled out Martin Ødegaard’s opening goal, which came just two minutes into the match. However, their momentum was short-lived.
Only moments after Haaland’s equalizer, Thomas Partey’s shot deflected off Stones and found the net, putting Arsenal back in front. From there, things went from bad to worse for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Arsenal continued to dominate as Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and Ethan Nwaneri all found the back of the net, sealing an emphatic victory for the home side. This win was particularly significant for Arsenal, as they had finished second behind City in the title race for the past two seasons.
After the match, Stones did not hold back his emotions. “I’m angry, upset, personally and collectively for how the game finished,” he said. “All of us don’t take losing well. It’s hard to put into words straight after the game. Sorry to the fans. To travel and come and watch how we played in the last 30 minutes is unacceptable.”
This latest defeat marked City’s seventh loss in the Premier League this season. With the team now sitting in fourth place, they find themselves 15 points behind the league leaders, effectively ending their chances of defending their title for a record-breaking fifth consecutive season.
