Manchester City defender John Stones believes his side will bounce back from a dismal 2024-25 season to win the English Premier League title in the upcoming campaign.
The Cityzens suffered a disappointment in the previous campaign, recording a third place finish- their worst league finish in a decade and losing out on their league title defense to Liverpool.
They suffered further heartbreak in the FA Cup, losing the final by a lone goal to Crystal Palace at Wembley in May.
Despite a tough season plagued by injuries, Stones predicts an improved team performance next season.
“[Last season was] humbling for us, after all the success that we’ve had”, the Englanf international revealed.
“It makes us realise what we’ve done as well, what we’ve achieved over the years and how proud we should be – and obviously frustrated at what we did last season.”
Pep Guardiola’s side showed glimpses of improvement in the FIFA Club World Cup in June, recording impressive wins over Al Ain and Juventus.
They were knocked out by Saudi Premier League’s Al Hilal in the round of 16.
“It’s not what we want to replicate again. To finish third, three or four points behind Arsenal, is, to our standards, not good”, Stones continued.
“How we played through the season, we’ve got to put that right and get back to our identity, get back to winning matches and having that presence about us and believing in ourselves as a team.
“I’m sure we’ll find that and bring it back, because it was tough last season, to go through what we did. We definitely come back with that fire in our bellies to go and achieve”, he added.
Manchester City begin the quest to reclaim the title in the 2025-26 English Premier League season, with an away trip to the Molineux to face Wolves on the 16th of August.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
