The transformation of Man City defender John Stones to a midfielder was the catalyst behind their treble run. This Barnsley center defender, 29, who is 29 years old, made more dribbles in the Champions League final than Lionel Messi did in 2015 as he exited the field. It’s understandable why the Manchester City supporters inside the Ataturk Olympic Stadium applauded him. Guardiola again expressed his gratitude by encircling his shoulder with one arm during the celebrations that followed. The City manager could go back on the choice to move Stones to midfield as the impetus for this illustrious success.
Stones was present in every crucial moment, after all, starting every knockout game in a midfield position from the quarterfinal to the final and filling the same role in the FA Cup victory over Manchester United. He had a comparable impact in the Premier League playoffs. All of this comes from a player whose time with City seemed to be up only a few years ago. He wasn’t trusted to play in midfield or even start a single Champions League match in the 2019–20 campaign. The club spent more than £100 million for Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias that summer. Stones recently referred to it as “one of the hardest times of my career” since he was then both out of the England team and out of favour with his club.
Of course, both Stones and Guardiola have to thank for his success; the Catalan found a position for Stones that allows him to show off his technical prowess while also confusing City’s opponents. In truth, Guardiola started experimenting with Stones early in the season, before the World Cup, when he excelled for England as a regular center-back, playing him as an inverted right-back when Kyle Walker was healing from a groin injury.
Stones was not the first player employed by Guardiola in that position, which is intended to give City the numerical advantage in midfield and the freedom to drive their wingers high and wide while remaining tight enough to defend against counterattacks. However, this was not like Joao Cancelo, Rico Lewis, or Oleksandr Zinchenko performing the part. Stones could offer the same degree of poise and skill as the players with the ball, but more importantly, he approached the situation as a “proper defender,” in Guardiola’s words. City, who were also utilizing Ake on the opposing side, quickly strengthened, although Stones’ position did not take on its current form until March.
The shift in focus began with City’s 7-0 demolition of RB Leipzig in the second leg of their round-of-16 match at the Etihad Stadium on March 14, when Stones made his debut appearance alongside Rodri and started ahead of a back three consisting of Manuel Akanji, Dias, and Ake. He played flawlessly throughout that game. Literally. He didn’t miss a single pass, either. His replacement in the 63rd minute, made to save his stamina, gave away his rising significance to Guardiola. Between that time and the conclusion of the season, Manchester City played 20 games in the wee hours of the morning in Istanbul, keeping eight clean sheets, the last of which came when it was most required, and never giving up more than one goal.
Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne were the standout performers, placing first and second in the PFA Player of the Year vote, but the stability Stones’ move into the center position gave was perhaps more important to City’s victory. The fact that Inter Milan’s finest opportunities on Saturday night came after Stones had been replaced by Walker is instructive considering that Inter was able to pin Guardiola’s squad back for the first time in the game at that point. Not that Stones’ role had previously been very defensive. In reality, as City sought to break down Simone Inzaghi’s side, the majority of the seven out of eight dribbles that were attempted were completed in Inter’s half.
“Now that football is so fluid,” Man City defender John Stones said. “It’s important to recognize your role and be aware of where your colleagues are. I definitely like the flow because I’m higher up the pitch. Teams play with a lot of players positioned behind the ball. In the latter third, we must be complicated.”
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