Premier League 2024-25: Manchester City’s collapse at Arsenal unacceptable, says Stones

Premier League 2024-25: Manchester City’s collapse at Arsenal unacceptable, says Stones

Champion Manchester City’s second-half capitulation in a 5-1 Premier League hammering at Arsenal on Sunday was not acceptable, according to defender John Stones.

When Erling Haaland equalised for City in the 55th minute at The Emirates Stadium, it seemed as though Pep Guardiola’s side might go on to take maximum points.

It was level for less than a minute though as Thomas Partey’s deflected drive following a City mistake restored Arsenal’s lead.

City then fell apart with Arsenal teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri both on target either side of a Kai Havertz effort from a flowing counter-attack.

“How we played in the last 30 minutes was not acceptable. Personally and collectively, it’s not us,” Stones said.

“It is not nice to be involved in that when you know it’s not your team in those situations. Credit to Arsenal, this is not an easy place to come to.

“For 65 minutes, we played some great football at times. We were in the game and it was a swinging point. It swung the wrong way for us. I am angry, upset personally and collectively about how the game finished.”

City stays in fourth place but are 15 points behind leader Liverpool which also have a game in hand.

Guardiola agreed with Stones’ blunt verdict of the late collapse but said before that his team had shown some of the quality that has been missing for much of the season.

“I only regret the last 25 minutes, we forgot to do what we should do, what we have done for 65-70 minutes,” he said.

“Of course it’s a difficult game starting in this stadium, against that team in the first minutes it’s happened many times this season. But after 10 or 15 minutes I think we took the game and played really, really, really, really good.

“I regret the last 15-20 minutes, the rest was a really good game for our side. It’s difficult to understand when you see the result but this is my feeling.

“It’s happened all season, we are giving away too many things, we are aware this cannot happen, it happened.”

Haaland may have registered his 250th senior goal from little over 300 games, but the Norwegian striker was a forlorn figure for vast swathes of the match.

He only touched the ball six times in the first half and not once after his headed equaliser.

Arsenal had fallen just short in the last two seasons as City kept Mikel Arteta’s side at bay to extend its title-winning streak to a record four-in-a-row.

On Sunday, goals by Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri effectively removed City from the title equation.

“It is a great day for us, especially with the necessity that we had to win the game. The manner that we have done it I am really pleased,” Arteta said.

“Overall, we scored some beautiful goals and the team showed a high competitive level.”

Arteta was full of praise for teenager Lewis-Skelly, whose impressive display was capped with his first Arsenal goal.

“You need big individual performances to beat (Man City). Myles was certainly one of them, the maturity he showed and competitiveness as well,” Arteta said.

“He plays with that personality and he’s scored a beautiful goal. He has been pushing us since he has been with us. We like his character and personality. He has so much courage.”