John Stones said Manchester City have been ‘trying super hard to improve’ their set pieces after scoring a last-gasp winner at Wolves.
Pep Guardiola’s side were frustrated for long periods of their 2-1 win at Molineux, as the home side defended deep and in numbers.
Wolves took an early lead through Jorgen Strand Larsen on seven minutes before Josko Gvardiol equalised with a spectacular strike for the visitors before half-time.
Gary O’Neil’s Wolves team had picked up just a point from their opening seven games but battled well until the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Stones headed in from Phil Foden’s corner – awarded after a VAR review – to hand the Citizens the points.
The England international said City were rewarded for hard work on set pieces on the training ground.
“We have been trying super hard to improve our set pieces and make the most of them. Today was a new focus and attitude towards them,” Stones said to BBC Sport.
“Hopefully this is the start of many more. It is a vital part of the game at both ends of the pitch and really pleasing for me personally to get the winner after such a difficult game.
“I thought it had been chalked off. I tried to speak to the ref but he had a lot of people around him. For me it is the right call. Obviously I am going to be biased but I think it should stand.”
Guardiola agreed with Stones that the goal should have stood, with Bernardo Silva not adjudged to have been impending Jose Sa’s view by VAR, after the on-field officials initially disallowed the goal.
“Of course I didn’t understand it. Linesman, I don’t know the reason why he did it,” Guardiola said.
“But Bernardo [Silva] isn’t disturbing the position. It was difficult in the first moment. Today in modern football they starve the keeper. In the moment what happened [Jose] Sa had the perfect vision. The taker from Phil [Foden] and the header [by John Stones] were magnificent.”
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