A Manchester City ‘source’ provides concerning insight into Kyle Walker’s behavior and actions behind the scenes.
A Manchester City source has raised concerns about Kyle Walker amid a poor run of form for both the player and Pep Guardiola’s team.
City have managed just one win in their last 11 matches across all competitions, with their latest setback coming in a late collapse during the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium. After leading 1-0 through a Josko Gvardiol header, City conceded twice in the second half. Matheus Nunes gave away a penalty with a rash foul on Amad Diallo, who scored the winner following Bruno Fernandes’ equaliser.
Walker, City’s captain, faced significant criticism for his first-half antics, including an incident with Rasmus Højlund, which drew scathing remarks from Roy Keane. The 34-year-old has been under fire for a series of poor performances this season, with many attributing his struggles to declining form and defensive lapses that have led to costly goals.
A report by Jack Gaughan in the Daily Mail delves deeper into Walker’s challenges, highlighting both on-pitch struggles and off-field issues. Walker’s wife, Annie Kilner, filed for divorce in October, reportedly seeking half of his £27 million fortune. This personal turmoil appears to be taking a toll on the player.
The City source revealed that Walker has been playing with an injury for over a month, necessitated by defensive injury woes at the club—something Guardiola has not publicly addressed. Moreover, the once-vocal captain has become noticeably subdued at the City Football Academy training ground. In a recent nine-a-side training match against academy players, Walker’s performance was described as underwhelming.
Former City midfielder Samir Nasri, speaking on Canal+ after the derby, didn’t shy away from calling out Walker. “Kyle Walker is having the worst defensive season of his career,” Nasri stated, attributing the decline to off-pitch distractions impacting his game.
City face a tough test on Saturday with a lunchtime fixture against Aston Villa, who could leapfrog them in the Premier League standings
with a win.
