Arsenal legend Martin Keown has suggested that fear is creeping into the Manchester City squad, which may be contributing to their poor form.
City is currently in seventh place, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool, and their hopes of recovering took another blow with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.
Keown described the situation as “unprecedented” for the reigning champions, noting that City has now gone over 10 matches with just one win.
Keown emphasized that Manchester City needs to reassess their goals, particularly focusing on securing a top-four finish.
He pointed out the pressure from the 130 financial charges and suggested that it might have affected the team’s momentum.
Keown also noted that City’s defensive solidity from last season seems to have vanished, with fear becoming apparent among the players.
He feels that City can’t catch Liverpool now and that the current squad may not have the ability to recover as past City teams did.