Man City fans react to Kyle Walker performance in pulsating 2-2 draw with Arsenal

Manchester City fans have been reacting to the performance of Kyle Walker today in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

Manchester City went into today’s game hoping to make it five wins out of five.

Erling Haaland got City off to the perfect start, scoring after brilliant play by Savinho on the right wing. The Brazilian slipped the striker in, and he finished at the near post.

City then lost Rodri to an apparent knee injury.

Riccardo Calafiori equalised for Arsenal, with City complaining that referee Michael Oliver did not allow players back into position.

Arsenal then went ahead through Gabriel, who lost Kyle Walker from a corner.

Arsenal had Leandro Trossard sent off just before half-time which meant the Gunners then defended for the whole of the second-half. After 45 minutes of pressure, City found an equaliser right at the death through Johnstone.

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Today was Walker’s first start of the season in the Premier League, with the England international being preferred to the in-from Rico Lewis.

Walker, of course, was one of the last players to return to City after the summer, having been involved with England at Euro 2024.

Man City fans react to Kyle Walker’s performance against Arsenal

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Fans were already a little disappointed that Pep Guardiola did not start Lewis against Arsenal.

Arguably, the teenager has been one of City’s top performers so far this season.

But he had started in midweek against Inter, which was perhaps a little indication that Pep would turn to Walker against Arsenal, especially with Gabriel Martinelli lining up on the left for Arsenal.

Against the Gunners Walker struggled, and appeared to be lacking rhythm and match sharpness. Fans were very critical of his defending.

Walker has long been considered one of the top right-backs in the world.

But last term, the 33-year-old was nowhere near as good as he was in the Treble-winning campaign.

And now, some City fans believe that Rico Lewis – who Pep had talked up ahead of today’s game with Arsenal – has gone clear of the veteran.

Walker’s days as a Man City regular are numbered

Walker did improve in the second-half today, but his overall performance against Arsenal was a concern, and also one that won’t come as too much of a surprise to a lot of fans.

Walker has not played a great deal of football so far this season, and his form wasn’t good last season.

The 33-year-old’s days as a regular starter should be numbered, because Lewis has been showing his quality consistently now in a City shirt.

He offers much more than Walker further up the pitch, and he has even shown this season that his defending is solid. Realistically, it is time Walker was phased out.

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