John Stones has said Manchester City will not be impacted by the “outside noise” ahead of his side’s crucial clash with Liverpool this weekend.
The two sides meet at the Etihad on Sunday, with only a point separating them at the top of the Premier League table . A game that has widely been labelled as a potential title decider, the Reds will be hoping to leapfrog City in the table as the season enters its final few weeks.
Liverpool are also set to cross paths with City in an FA Cup semi-final later this month, while booth teams are juggling their Champions League campaigns. But ex-Everton man Stones believes Pep Guardiola’s side are capable of competing across three competitions in their bid to achieve a treble this season.
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“We don't get sucked into the outside noise,” Stones told BBC Radio Manchester, as reported by BBC Sport . “We just concentrate on what we do and we've done that for all the time I've been here, been very focused and tunnel vision on what's ahead of us.
"What we want to get out of these things and what we're striving to achieve - and that's another hurdle for us to get over and be successful. Everyone in that dressing room wants to come out on the winning side and we'll do everything in our power to do that.
"I just focus on what I need to do, don't think about the outside. We're human beings and we know what's riding on this game and how important it is to us. Every game this season has been a final for us, that's how we approach it."
Having played 90 minutes against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, Stones will be aware that April is set to be a season-defining month for City . However, the England international has rejected the suggestion that the upcoming game with Liverpool could decide the title race.
"I don't think so,” he said. “I suppose I don't think too much like that because you can get carried away. We're first and second in the table, everyone knows that.
"We have to concentrate on us and how we play our football and don't change our football. This week is vital for us - and how we prepare, we stay calm because we've been in situations like this before."
