Manchester City have had a fairly strong start to their 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
With six games played prior to City’s home match against Fulham, the Manchester club have won four and drawn two of them.
Across those matches, Pep Guardiola has seen his side score 14 goals and concede six as they look to go on to become the first team to win five Premier League trophies in a row.
Outside the Premier League, the Blues have also made it to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and picked up four points from their first two Champions League games of the season.
Having already overlooked a lot of games with his side so far in this latest campaign, Guardiola has now shared some insight into why one figure in the City squad hasn’t been particularly prominent in the team compared to previous years.
Pep Guardiola makes Kyle Walker claim after latest England call-up
After Kyle Walker was included in the latest England squad for their upcoming Nations League matches, Guardiola said this in his recent press conference (via Man City) about the full-back including why he hasn’t been playing regularly this season and how he could make his 400th Premier League appearance against Fulham.
He said: “I don’t have any doubts about Kyle and his physicality. He can play whenever Kyle is focused on what he has to do. I’m happy he’s back in the national team.
“This milestone is unbelievable, and I think his win rate is not just spectacular, it’s superior. That’s why I congratulate him, because that means how consistent you are and how many games you play and have few injuries.
“His physicality is out of the norm.
“Kyle has to be completely focused to get the best of him. He has to give everything in training sessions and in the games and the minutes he plays against all the teams in this competition.”
What has Kyle Walker done so far this season?
Appearing in just six of City’s 10 matches in all competitions so far this season prior to the Fulham match, Walker has only started four of them and completed the full 90 minutes three times.
The 34-year-old’s performances in the four league games he’s appeared in have earned him an overall season rating of 6.54/10 from WhoScored, making him the second-lowest-rated outfield player in the City squad who have started more than one league match.
Despite that, not only was the right-back included in the latest Three Lions squad, but Lee Carsley also said that he thinks Walker will be able to help some of the younger players in the current England ranks due to his experience.
Now that Guardiola has dismissed any doubts about Walker’s physical attributes and said that he needs to make sure he’s giving everything on the training ground and staying focused on his job in games, this shouldn’t be a problem for him given the vast experience he has under his belt at the top level.
