John Stones insists England are fired up and ready to knock his former Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland out of the World Cup. The England defender spoke ahead of Saturday's quarter-final meeting with Norway in Miami, following England's impressive 3-2 victory over co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
England's Gritty Win Over Mexico
England played with ten men for much of the second half and over 11 minutes of stoppage time after Jarell Quansah's sending off. Despite the disadvantage, they held on for a famous win, thanks to two goals from Jude Bellingham and a Harry Kane penalty. Stones described it as a special night, saying, "It is one for us to kind of pick up in a few days, I suppose, and look forward to, but [Mexico] was a special night and I think we've overcome a big hurdle."
Norway's Historic Quarter-Final
Saturday will mark Norway's first World Cup quarter-final in their history, while England reach the last eight for the third consecutive tournament. Norway's biggest threat is Leeds-born Erling Haaland, who is tied with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe on seven goals, making him a frontrunner for the golden boot at his first World Cup.
Stones' Respect for Haaland
Stones, who was Haaland's teammate at City until leaving as a free agent, expressed respect for his former colleague. "Another incredible player, and we've got a lot of huge, huge respect for them as a team," Stones said. "We saw the result [with] them knocking out Brazil, and that's something within its own right, and we will definitely go into the game same as every game. I'm sure you've heard me say it many times in the past, but treat everyone with the same respect and know what they've got, especially with Erling, and they've kept some great defensive displays as well."
Defensive Resilience
England had to defend resolutely in the final 20 minutes plus added time against Mexico, with Stones, Djed Spence, and Dan Burn brought on to secure the win. Stones said this experience bodes well for potential defensive challenges ahead. "I think we've done it now, and as a player knowing and being through that experience and coming out the other end on the right side of it, it is encouraging, and knowing if we have to go through that, we were set for it," he explained. "That's a really nice feeling, and I feel like Marc [Guehi], Ezri [Konsa], the guys that have played at the back throughout the tournament, have performed at such a high level. We're always pushing each other throughout training to have a standard that we can set for the rest of the team, and whoever has played in whatever position has done so well, and that should give us great confidence for going through to the next stage."
