The most challenging moment for a professional footballer is acknowledging when their time has come to an end. Gary Neville faced this reality in the restroom at the Hawthorns on New Year’s Day in 2011. He announced his retirement a month later. His infamous 71-minute performance has since become a symbol of poor displays from aging players. Fans often joked, “He’s had his Neville-at-West-Brom moment.” Kyle Walker has experienced several such moments recently, yet none seem to have convinced him that his career is nearing its conclusion.
Walker is one of the most accomplished right-backs in English football history. Since joining Manchester City from Tottenham in 2017, the 34-year-old has won it all—the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Champions League. However, there’s a growing possibility that he won’t add to his trophy collection. A significant factor in Walker’s success has been his speed. During his prime, few could outpace him due to his exceptional recovery speed. This aspect of his game is now diminishing, highlighting his defensive vulnerabilities and being exploited by opponents.
Recent examples include the home matches against Fulham and Tottenham. Adama Traoré easily outran Walker, and while the Spaniard is no slowpoke, Walker would have at least matched him in his peak years. In the 4-0 defeat to Spurs, Timo Werner beat Walker in a foot race, leading to Brennan Johnson’s close-range finish and a memorable night for the away fans. Perhaps this was why Walker hesitated to step up with the City defense for Daniel Muñoz’s fourth-minute opener in the 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace. Concerned about being outpaced by Eberechi Eze, Walker could only watch as Muñoz beat the offside trap and fired past Stefan Ortega. His arm-raise appeal to the assistant referee seemed more hopeful than confident. Walker was later beaten by Maxence Lacroix at a second-half corner for Palace’s second goal.
There have been clear signs of Walker’s decline for months, notably during the Euro 2024 final, where Nico Williams scored Spain’s opener from England’s right flank, and Walker failed to intercept Marc Cucurella’s cross for Mikel Oyarzabal’s winning goal. A team of City’s stature shouldn’t rely so heavily on a player of Walker’s age, though injuries have hampered Pep Guardiola’s options. John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Aké, and Rúben Dias have all been sidelined at times, and the absence of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic in midfield has meant Rico Lewis has been needed there instead of at right-back.
City have won only two of the nine competitive matches Walker has started this season (22.2%) and nine of the 13 matches (69%) he has not. According to WhoScored.com, Walker’s rating of 6.34 is the lowest among City players in the Premier League this season, marking his worst domestic campaign to date. Wingers are finding it increasingly easy to outpace Walker, who is being dribbled past once per 90 minutes—his highest rate in a Premier League season. While this isn’t a significant number, for a team that dominates as City do, it’s a concern. Walker is also struggling to beat his man when pressing forward, completing just 0.2 dribbles per 90 minutes—his lowest rate in a Premier League season.
In January, City have an opportunity to strengthen at right-back. While few top teams make significant signings in the winter window, if the champions want to regain their form, they may need to enter the market. Walker hasn’t yet had his Neville-at-West-Brom moment, but it seems inevitable.
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