Arsenal star reveals John Stones had no clue about Manchester City’s next opponent

In preparation for their upcoming top-flight clash, Arsenal and England star Declan Rice revealed that Manchester City’s John Stones had no prior knowledge of the match.

This season, the Premier League champions are aiming for a fourth consecutive English top-flight title, facing tough competition from Arsenal and a motivated Liverpool team led by Jurgen Klopp’s impending departure.

Manchester City is also focused on defending their UEFA Champions League title, as they face Real Madrid in the quarter-final stage.

Manchester City players emphasize taking each game as it comes, without looking ahead. For John Stones, this mindset was evident during the international break.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Declan Rice shared a humorous interaction with John Stones about their upcoming match at the Etihad Stadium.

Rice recalled, “The first day I came on England duty, I saw John Stones and he didn’t even know they were playing us next. When he’s away from football, he likes to be with his family and switch off, taking one game at a time.”

Rico continued, “I said ‘big game next’ and John said ‘who are you playing?’ and I said ‘we’ve got you lot!’ He said ‘oh yeah!’ That tells you how much we speak about it when we’re here! With Walks (Kyle Walker) he always has a little bit of banter, he’s a great lad.”

Manchester City players are set to return to training on Wednesday evening at the City Football Academy, preparing for the weekend’s match against Arsenal.

Guardiola and his staff hope to avoid further injuries during the international break, after recent setbacks with Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji.

Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji both suffered injuries during their respective national team duties, adding to Manchester City’s concerns ahead of the crucial upcoming fixtures.