John Stones says he is optimistic about his potential role at Manchester City at the end of the 2025/26 season.
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The experienced England international captained the side in Saturday night’s 3-1 FA Cup fifth round win over Newcastle United, making his second start of 2026.
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After a strong start to the season, he developed a thigh problem that sidelined him for much of the winter.
Newcastle 1-3 City | Match Report
Now he appears to have shaken off that shackles, putting in an exemplary performance at St James’ Park to guide City through a difficult campaign.
Now, the 31-year-old says he is confident of helping City meet their challenges in four areas over the coming months.
“It’s great to be able to contribute there,” he began.
“It’s very important to get back into rhythm, it’s always difficult in the first 20 minutes with their pace and power. Stay positive and ready when you need to, and I thought we did that tonight.
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Now in his tenth season at the Etihad Stadium, Stones has become a central part of Guardiola’s brilliant success.
With all this experience under his belt, the centre-back has been patient about returning to the pitch and is now keen to ensure standards do not drop as we chase success in the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
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“The team has been doing well with clean sheets and winning streaks, and in situations like this you have to wait for your chance,” he said.
“There are so many big games coming up and we know everyone is going to play and give their all, which we have done well in high-pressure moments over the years.
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“That’s why we’re successful and this is another opportunity to do that and set the standard for ourselves. We have to keep the standard and focus on one game at a time.”
Savinho was named Newcastle’s Man of the Match for an impressive performance in which he equalized for us and then played a key role in steering us to victory.
Asked about the Brazilian’s performance, Stones praised: “It’s incredible how direct he is, the speed at which he gets past you and goes full speed.
“He keeps creating a lot of crosses and chances. I’m happy for him, coming back from injury is difficult. He came on in the last game and made a difference and it was the same today.”