Manchester City entered their Champions League night at the Etihad hoping to reset their rhythm after a jittery return from the November international break.
Instead, they ended up confronting some uncomfortable truths. A flat and largely uninspired performance saw the Sky Blues beaten 2-0 by Bayer Leverkusen, a result that has left Pep Guardiola’s men facing a far tougher road toward the knockout stage than they would have imagined a month ago.
John Stones speaking on the defeat against Bayer Leverkusen did not attempt to soften what had happened. His assessment was sharp, candid and reflective of a wider alarm within the squad.
After Leverkusen took control through goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick, City never quite found the fluency or menace that usually defines them.
The match, played in front of a restless home crowd, felt like one of those rare evenings in which Guardiola’s team simply could not rise to the moment.
Guardiola himself accepted the responsibility straight away. His decision to rotate heavily — making ten changes from the narrow defeat to Newcastle at the weekend — was a gamble that ultimately backfired.
He had hoped fresh legs might inject new energy, but instead City looked disconnected, short of assertiveness and lacking threat in the final third.
The reshuffle also underlined something the club already knew but perhaps did not want to confront head-on: their increasing reliance on Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian striker was given a rest after going two matches without finding the net, yet his absence was impossible to ignore as City struggled to create meaningful chances.
Guardiola eventually summoned Haaland, along with Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, during the second half, but by then Leverkusen were well organised, disciplined and difficult to break down.
Stones, returning to the starting line-up after missing the trip to St James’ Park, shouldered the responsibility of leading a side that never truly found its rhythm.
John Stones speaking on the defeat against Bayer Leverkusen to TNT Sports after the match, he showed his frustration.
“Lots of things (were missing). You can dissect and look at it in so many different angles but I think all in all we didn’t have that edge, clinical edge, aggressive edge.
“We lacked in quite a few things which is uncharacteristic for us as a team and as players, and we’re all disappointed, I’m disappointed to have led the team out.
“To finish that way from trying our best to break them down and working on it in training, we knew they were such a good team in possession and found it difficult at times to keep them in one area of the pitch and they got out.
“There were a lot of good things but it’s a night we need to reflect on massively.”
His words neatly captured the sense of disjointedness that had characterised City’s display.
There were isolated bursts of promise, but not enough cohesion to sustain pressure or force errors from a Leverkusen side whose confidence appeared to grow with every City misstep.
Dressing-room frustration as City turn attention to Real Madrid
The ramifications of the loss extend beyond the dropped points.
City’s remaining group-stage schedule now includes a daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid await in what could become a decisive fixture.
The Spanish giants have not been at their sharpest this season, but they remain unforgiving opponents when the stakes climb.
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Unsurprisingly, the dressing room mood after the Leverkusen defeat was heavy.
Stones did not hide how the squad felt when pressed further on the immediate emotional response among the players.
“Not good (the mood in the Manchester City dressing room),” he admitted. “It’s a difficult one to summarise really. A lot of emotion, I think it’s going to have to be one we have to look back at.
“I think we weren’t good enough as a collective, created a lot of chances (and) we could be stood here – it could be 4-2 or 5-2.”
Stones’ leadership on the night provided a small bright spot in an otherwise downbeat performance. The defender showed clear understanding of the broader implications of the match.
