After nine years of unprecedented domination, Manchester City's empire is crumbling, and the once peerless Pep Guardiola has been proven to be a mere mortal like everyone else. Barring a miraculous recovery, the reigning Premier League champions will not be celebrating a record-extending fifth-successive title come May.
City were only beaten five times in the whole of last season, but have incredibly lost nine times across all competitions already, with a miserable sequence of just one win in 13 games posted between October 30 and December 26. It was the worst run of form Guardiola has ever endured as a manager, and City's worst since 2003, five years before Sheikh Mansour's historic takeover at the Etihad Stadium.
This is the first real crisis of Guardiola's career, and it remains to be seen if he can get City out of it. The ship has been steadied with three successive wins, but City are still a long way off regaining their aura of invincibility. No one fears them anymore, and one of the main reasons for that has been the continued presence of Kyle Walker at right-back.
City's 'Mr. Reliable' has become a complete liability, and while Walker still technically holds the captain's armband, he is no longer leading by example. The 34-year-old has allowed basic errors to creep into his game, with opposing teams clearly targeting him as the weakest link in City's armour. His decision to request a transfer in January could not have come a moment too soon.
