Stones eyes swift recovery from Arsenal setback | OneFootball

John Stones has communicated his disappointment, discomfort and sadness after the 5-1 Premier League loss to Arsenal, but expressed the team's determination to recover quickly from the defeat.

The Gunners went ahead after just 104 seconds at the Emirates Stadium through Martin Odegaard, before his compatriot Erling Haaland levelled for City ten minutes after the interval with a powerful header.

The hosts regained the lead almost instantly as Thomas Partey's shot deflected off Stones and into the net, with further goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri securing the points for Mikel Arteta's side.

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The defeat ends our six-match unbeaten run in the top-flight and Stones, who spoke about his disappointment after the game, is looking for a swift response to the loss.

"It’s difficult. All of us don’t take losing well. It’s hard for me to put into words really straight after a game like that," he said. "[My] pride’s hurt. Sorry to the fans who travelled to come and watch that and how we played in that last 30 minutes was not acceptable. As a collective, that is not us. It’s not nice to be involved in that.

"I give credit to Arsenal, it’s not an easy place to come to and they played really well. For 60 or 65 minutes we played some great football at times and were in the game. It was a swinging point I suppose, and it swung the wrong way for us. I’m angry, upset, personally and collectively, for how the game finished for many reasons.

APPLAUD: Stones thanks the travelling fans for their support.

"To get us back after half-time was a great feeling and a good situation to be in. To concede after that from a deflection after that off me, a bit of luck, it’s difficult when there’s an overload at the back. You have to make a decision to come out and they got the luck on that one and it went in.

"We can’t let those situations get on top of us and if they score another goal, we can get one back, but it seemed to be the opposite. We stopped doing what we were meant to. It’s difficult for me to put into words.

"I’ve been on both sides of it and today was on the wrong side. For all of us in the dressing room, it’s an emotional place. We want to come back and bounce back quickly from this, not erase it because these things make you stronger and make you learn and realise what we’ve done over the seasons and what we’re capable of doing.

"For our fans and everyone who follows us and who has been through the good and bad times, today is one of the bad times, and we need to make it right again."

The setback at the Emirates temporarily keeps Pep Guardiola's men in fourth place in the league table, above our next league opponents Newcastle United on goals scored, but could slip to fifth by the end of this round of fixtures as Chelsea are yet to play.

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Stones has revealed that the squad's application and desire is still evident in training and has called for the team to come together after such a difficult result.

"It’s a lot of different things that I still haven’t figured out yet. Why we’re not picking up the results as we have in previous seasons. Why it has not clicked," he said.

"The passion is there, the heart is there in training, everyone has the right intention which is one of the most important things. We haven’t got to where we are without going through difficult times. That’s through everyone’s career.

"We have to stick together, it’s a key point that we don’t start pointing fingers. We look at ourselves first and foremost in the dressing room and come together as a team and look to make this right."