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 eight of their last 11 games across all competitions. It's the worst run of form Guardiola has ever endured as a manager, and the club's worst since 2003, five years before Sheikh Mansour's historic takeover at 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. There is nothing to take from their recent performances to suggest anything will change soon. No one fears them anymore, and one of the main reasons for that is the continued presence of Kyle Walker at right-back.
City's 'Mr. Reliable' has become a complete liability, and while Walker still 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 and he's costing City week after week, with opposing teams now clearly targeting him.