Two of Manchester City’s warriors look like their legs have run out

There were barely any positives to come out of the 4-nil defeat Manchester City suffered at the hands of Tottenham yesterday. It was a day where all of City’s weaknesses were laid bare. But in the case of two of Manchester City’s warriors, it looks like their legs have finally run out. For Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan, yesterday’s game showed that they don’t appear to be capable of keeping up with their younger and hungrier opponents.

The blame for yesterday’s defeat doesn’t fall at the feet of Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan. It was a whole team failure by Manchester City and that rests on the entire team and Pep Guardiola. But in the case of Walker and Gundogan, the longer the game wore on, the more it stood out that two of Manchester City’s warriors are slowing down. That is a massive cause for concern for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Kyle Walker is trying to do all he can but his legs are failing him.

Kyle Walker was given a torrid time by Son Hueng-Min yesterday. City’s captain tried to fight the fight yesterday. But he couldn’t stem the tide at right-back. But by the time Timo Werner sped past him to set up Spurs fourth goal of the night it is clear that Walker has been run down by Father Time. That is an obvious conclusion to draw after yesterday’s performance. It has become apparent in each of Walker’s most recent performances for Manchester City.

Speaking after the game Kyle Walker is saying all of the right things. As Manchester City’s captain, he faced the media following City’s defeat. He told the media that the world champions need to focus on keeping clean sheets. Walker said after City’s embarrassing loss: “I’ve stood here when we won titles so I’ll stand here for defeats too. This is the most frustrating thing for a defender. I don’t care about scoring goals, I’m not bothered about scoring goals, I’m bothered about clean sheets, and we’re not doing that at the minute. It’s something we need to change. You have to go back to the basics and get a clean sheet. Then you have a chance of winning the game. If we concede four goals at home, what do you want our strikers to do? Go and score five?”

Everything Kyle Walker said is on the money. But is he able to help his team in their time of need? The effort is there, but for now, it doesn’t appear that his body can’t back up his words. That is a massive issue for the world champions. Teams are targeting Kyle Walker and that is new ground for Manchester City and their captain.

Ilkay Gundogan’s mind is willing but he doesn’t appear to be able to keep up.

The other of Manchester City’s warriors that looks to be slowing down is Ilkay Gundogan. Gundogan is a Manchester City legend based on his past exploits for the club. When he arrived back at the club from Barcelona last summer it was a special moment for Gundogan and the club.

But yesterday Ilkay Gundogan couldn’t keep up with Tottenham’s midfield. It was clear to see when he couldn’t track James Maddison back for Ange Postecoglou’s side’s opening goal. Gundogan’s mind was willing but his body couldn’t do what he wanted and needed to do. That is a clear sign to me that Gundogan is slowing down as a player.

In possession, Gundogan was good yesterday. He was calm on the ball and helped City maintain possession. But when Spurs countered and attacked he couldn’t get to where he needed to be. Gundogan’s game was never based on pace but he is slowing down. That isn’t a harsh call on the Manchester City legend. It is just what stood out to me as City’s midfield faltered yesterday.

Summary

As mentioned previously, Manchester City’s defeat doesn’t rest solely on Ilkay Gundogan and Kyle Walker. It can’t and nor should they shoulder the blame for what transpired at the Etihad last night. But it is becoming clear that two of Manchester City’s warriors are beginning to slow down. They have been absolute champions for the club. But time waits for no one and nor does it care about past deeds. That is a fair conclusion to draw after yesterday’s defeat to Tottenham. How Pep Guardiola covers the pair is now another area to watch for over Manchester City’s next few games.