- 1,612
- 9
- 38
Stones was there in all the key moments, after all, starting every knockout game from quarter-finals to final in a midfield berth and playing the same role in the FA Cup final win over Manchester United. He was similarly influential in the Premier League run-in.
All this from a player whose City career looked over only a few years ago. In the 2019/20 season, he wasn't trusted to start a single Champions League game, let alone play in midfield. That summer, the club spent more than £100m on Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.
Stones, out of the England squad as well as out of favour with his club at that point, recently described it as "one of the hardest times of my career" but his perseverance was rewarded. Now, his talent is shining through. "An incredible player," says Guardiola.
It is of course thanks to Guardiola, as well as Stones himself, that he has flourished, the Catalan finding a role for him that serves both to unleash his technical ability and flummox City's opponents.