Kyle Walker backs Manchester City to recapture their ‘mojo’ despite slump

Kyle Walker insists Manchester City have not lost confidence despite Saturday’s fifth consecutive defeat to Tottenham, with the captain insisting beating Feyenoord on Tuesday will recapture the champions “mojo”.

City were routed 4-0 by Ange Postecoglou’s side at the Etihad Stadium, a third league reverse of the losing sequence. They remain on 23 points, five behind Liverpool, who can extend their advantage to 11 if Arne Slot’s side win at Southampton on Sunday and beat City at Anfield on Sunday-week.

Pep Guardiola’s team next face Feyenoord in the Champions League. Walker said: “We’re going through a bad spell, but we will come out the end of it. We’ve got the characters and more than enough ability in there to do so. We won’t give up. We’ve all achieved a lot for this club. It’s a new season and we need to go and fight for the Premier League again.

“We’ve got a game on Tuesday – we just need to get one win and hopefully we get our mojo back. Do I think we’ve lost confidence – no, I think it’s stupid for us to say that. We just need to start winning again.”

The 34-year-old admitted confusion regarding the five-match losing run, the first time the champions have lost this many since Chelsea in 1956.

Walker said: “If we knew what we were doing wrong, we’d be giving you the answers out there and winning games. Obviously, we are trying – the lads are putting in everything. The injured lads are putting in everything to get back and to play in the team. Sometimes in football you need a little bit of luck, and we’ve probably not got that at the minute – that’s not us making excuses. We know we need to do better for this football club and for the respect of each other in the dressing room.

“It’s football. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves – we have to dig deep and look forward to the game on Tuesday. It’s just a period of football that we’ve not experienced in the eight seasons since I’ve been here. It’s time to show the character and we will keep fighting as we always have done – right until the end.”