{"id":296738,"date":"2023-12-13T08:24:36","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T08:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/?p=296738"},"modified":"2023-12-13T08:24:36","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T08:24:36","slug":"john-stones-and-man-city-team-mates-bring-christmas-cheer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/soccer\/john-stones-and-man-city-team-mates-bring-christmas-cheer\/","title":{"rendered":"John Stones and Man City team-mates bring Christmas cheer"},"content":{"rendered":"
John Stones admitted that Manchester City must shore up defensively if they want to make history over the festive period.<\/p>\n
Stones has recently returned from injury after a month out in which City conceded 10 goals in four games but his re-emergence should see Pep Guardiola\u2019s side tighten up at the back.<\/p>\n
City are in Belgrade for a Champions League dead rubber against Red Star on Wednesday evening and host Crystal Palace at the weekend before jetting off for the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
City do not find out their semi-final opponents until later in the week and kick off their tournament next Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u2018To be able to have the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the Super Cup and the Club World Cup next to each other in our cabinet would a dream come true and a historic moment,\u2019 Stones said.<\/p>\n
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John Stones and some of his Manchester City team-mates visited a local hospital to provide some Christmas cheer<\/p>\n
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Stones posed for photos with patients at\u00a0the Royal Manchester Children\u2019s Hospital in Manchester, also delivering gifts<\/p>\n
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Jack Grealish was also on hand to pay a visit to patients\u00a0as part of City\u2019s ‘Greatest Season of All’ Christmas campaign<\/p>\n
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\u2018We\u2019re excited to go there and give it everything to try and become world champions, knowing it will be extremely tough against some top sides.<\/p>\n
\u2018We know we have been conceding too many goals and that has cost us points already this season. We\u2019re not giving up any big chances, so it\u2019s a frustrating one.<\/p>\n
\u2018But that\u2019s just football and the Premier League. We know as a team we need to take the chances we are creating and need to defend better.\u2019<\/p>\n
Stones has endured a frustrating campaign so far, missing the first two months with a muscle problem that inflamed again. He\u2019s only started four league matches.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old visited the Royal Manchester Children\u2019s Hospital as part of City\u2019s ‘Greatest Season of All’ Christmas campaign, which has raised more than \u00a3200,000 towards community projects for young people in Greater Manchester.<\/p>\n
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The campaign has raised more than \u00a3200,000 towards community projects for young people in Greater Manchester<\/p>\n
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Players\u00a0donated gift bags and blankets to children from the Treble winners in their visit – and enjoyed some table football<\/p>\n
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Some patients were overwhelmed by seeing their heroes but were made up by the surprise<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off\u00a0is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.<\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n Stones was among those on hand to donate gift bags and blankets to children from the Treble winners, while the club gave \u00a310,000 to local foodbanks, funding three thousand food parcels.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019ve visited a few times now and always feel so inspired after meeting so many incredible people,\u2019 Stones added.<\/p>\n \u2018This year has been no different and I know all of the lads are really proud to be here. I hope those memories go some way towards creating a special Christmas for them all.<\/p>\n \u2018I am ready to go again after injury and we want to create more memories for our fans at the end of the season. I worked really hard to return to fitness, played some games and felt like I was performing to a good level. Then I had another setback which was difficult. But I am back now.\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n City also gave \u00a310,000 to local foodbanks, funding three thousand food parcels amid their latest visit to the hospital<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While some players have visited multiple times in their City careers, it was a first visit for summer signing Jeremy Doku<\/p>\n <\/p>\n City mascots also got involved in the table football, with the squad set to jet off to the Middle East after this weekend’s game against Crystal Palace<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stones admitted that Manchester City must tighten up defensively if they want to win the Club World Cup next week<\/p>\n