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Tom Pope felt he “shut a few people up” with his eye-catching cameo in Port Vale’s 4-1 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City.
The striker had drawn special attention before the match for tweeting last year that he would score 40 goals a season if he faced John Stones every week, and duly scored Port Vale’s solitary goal at the Etihad, leading to a frosty post-match meeting in the home dressing room between Pope and the England defender.
Tom Pope
(@Tom_Pope9)Just watched the highlights of the England game! I know I’m a league 2 player, I know he plays for England, I know he’s on £150k a week, I know he’s a million times better player than me but I’d love to play against John Stones every week! I’d get 40 a season! #soft #weakaspiss
“They all dragged me in, the Man City players, but John wouldn’t speak to me,” said Pope, whose goal was also his 109th for the club, a post-war record. “It was a little bit awkward. I shook his hand but he wasn’t too happy.”
Pope certainly felt he had no reason to back down, later tweeting: “I’d just like to say I was completely wrong and bang out of order to say I’d score 40 a season….. it’s more like 50.”
All eyes were on their duel and, although Stones largely dealt with him well and had the last laugh as City prevailed, Pope certainly had his moment.
Tom Pope
(@Tom_Pope9)Sorry I can’t reply to everyone it’s gone mental! I’d just like to say I was completely wrong and bang out of order to say I’d score 40 a season….. it’s more like 50 😊😊😊 enjoy your weekend 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Pope cancelled out Oleksandr Zinchenko’s opener with a fine header and later intercepted a Stones pass to create another chance.
Pope said: “It was only banter and people have dug it up because we’ve drawn Man City. All of a sudden it’s everywhere and people have been on my case about it. [Stones’] is a world-class centre-half. I was just saying he wasn’t very physical and that’s it. If people think I’m wrong, well, I don’t care.
“I spoke to (Benjamin) Mendy and he said all their players had battered him for weeks about it and they got him that wound up about it, and then obviously I’ve scored and he’s probably devastated.
“But I was just hoping I got a half chance to try to put one away. The last thing you want to do is get beaten 7-0 after everything that’s gone on Twitter, not score and everyone laugh. It was nice to shut a few people up to back up what I said but it’s water off a duck’s back. I wasn’t too bothered about it either way.”
Tom Pope
(@Tom_Pope9)The Highlight of my day wasn’t the goal it was Benjamin Mendy waiting outside our dressing room waiting for a selfie with me to put in their group chat 😭😭😭 Mendy has bants 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Despite Pope’s 34th-minute leveller, City never really looked like relinquishing their grip on the FA Cup.
Sergio Agüero restored the lead before the break and Taylor Harwood-Bellis got the final touch on a Stones shot to claim City’s third. Phil Foden wrapped up the scoring but Vale still left with credit.
Pope said: “Beforehand we were all joking we would take five and we ended up conceding four, so that’s an added bonus for us. Pep (Guardiola) put a ridiculous side out and as soon as you seen the team sheet, that’s when you start to shake. But the lads dug in and worked their socks off.”
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