Fans lay into John Stones after his dreadful Carabao Cup final error
Fans have put the blame for Aston Villa‘s Carabao Cup final goal squarely on the head of Manchester City defender John Stones after his slip.
Towards the end of the first half, with Man City 2-0 up, Stones lost his footing as the ball came forward, allowing Anwar El Ghazi to pounce and swing in an excellent cross for Mbwana Samatta to head into the net.
The mistake gave Villa a route back into the match, and social media erupted in frustration and humour.
With the ball coming over the top, John Stones slipped and Aston Villa capitalised to score
Fans on social media have been making fun of Stones, with some calling for him to be sold
‘John Stones will not be at Man City next season,’ said one fan, clearly not impressed with the England defender’s efforts.
With the ball coming over the top, Stones was running towards his goal, looking high over his shoulder when he appeared to get tangled in his own feet. The ball pinged off him, setting El Ghazi free down the left.
The fall was almost comical, leading fans to compare Stones to Manchester United defender Phil Jones, who is notorious for spending more time on the deck than most.
Stones has been out of favour in Manchester City’s defence despite Aymeric Laporte’s injury
‘John Stones rhymes with Phil Jones,’ pointed out one astute Twitter user, while another was confident in City’s win despite the mishap, saying: ‘John Stones here paying tribute to Sir Phil Jones but doesn’t matter as he’ll walk home with a winners medal.’
He was also compared to the often-mistake-prone Dejan Lovren. ‘John Stones has gotta seriously go, City’s equivalent of Lovren,’ said someone else, clearly hoping he leaves the club in the summer.
Stones has been out of favour at times this season, only appearing 12 times in the Premier League and a handful of times in other competitions, despite Aymeric Laporte’s long-term injury.
City are thought to be considering a move for Everton’s Mason Holgate, and Stones could be offered back to his former club as part of the deal.
The error did not end up costing City as they held on to defend their title in a 2-1 win.