Premier League ‘ours to lose’, says Man City’s Walker
Manchester City captain Kyle Walker asserts that the Premier League title is “ours to lose” as the team aims for an unprecedented fifth consecutive title.
City became the first club to win four successive English top-flight championships last season and will begin their title defense on Sunday when they travel to Chelsea.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, England full-back Walker stated “I wouldn’t say it’s an ego, but we’ve done this now four times in a row – this is our trophy to lose.
“I can assure you, when you’re looking down at your arm and you’ve got that gold badge that no-one else has got it’s a good feeling. Long may it continue.”
Meanwhile, reflecting on England’s Euro 2024 campaign in the latest episode of *You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker*, he mentioned that the team “put more weight on our shoulders than was probably needed” as they finished runners-up to Spain.
Under manager Pep Guardiola, City have become a relentless winning machine. Despite their success, Walker noted that finding motivation for new campaigns remains undiminished.
Walker added: “For us to go and do four in a row off the back of a Treble was a great achievement. To pick yourself up and go again after such a high, plus we won the Super Cup and Club World Cup as well, was especially important.
“Now, why can’t we go and do five in a row? Why can’t we go and do something I don’t think will probably be ever be done again? That’s the motivation we have to create from us as a group of players, from me as a captain.”
Guardiola is a driving force behind City’s relentless ambition, ensuring that the players match his level of dedication to winning silverware.
Walker acknowledged that the club demands “instant success – and that’s what we have to deliver.”
“I think if you didn’t have that drive, he wouldn’t have you at the club. It’s a big part of his DNA, winning,” he told the Monday Night Club.
“Look at the teams he’s gone and managed, the players he’s worked with. He’s not shy that if you’re not pulling your weight, he’s not scared to tell you.”
‘Everyone wants to be liked’ – on criticism of England’s Euro 2024 team
Having beaten Serbia in their Group C opener at the Euros, England faced strong criticism after following that 1-0 win with lackluster draws against Denmark and Slovenia.
Speaking on You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker, the defender revealed that the squad discussed the media criticism while they were in Germany.
“I’d be lying if I said we don’t speak about it,” he added. “We’re all human beings and everyone wants to be liked – especially for the job that you’re doing with so much passion and love.”
The Three Lions narrowly advanced past Slovakia in the last 16, winning 2-1. They were trailing 1-0 to the 44th-ranked nation until the 95th minute, when Jude Bellingham scored an overhead bicycle kick to take the game into extra time, where captain Harry Kane headed home the decisive goal.
Walker, who was also part of the England squad ignominiously knocked out by Iceland in the last 16 at Euro 2016, admitted he feared history might repeat itself before Bellingham’s goal.
“You just think, ‘is this really happening again?’,” he said, adding how late winners showed “the guts and the courage” of the squad.
‘Massively shocked’ by Grealish omission
One major story leading into the tournament was Gareth Southgate’s decision to exclude Manchester City forward Jack Grealish from his 26-man squad. The 28-year-old, who has 36 England caps, expressed that he was “heartbroken” to be left out.
Club team-mate Walker told the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast he was “massively shocked” by Southgate’s decision, saying Grealish “brings something different” to the other players who travelled to Germany.
He added “it’s not down to me to decide who’s in the squad.”
Southgate’s team selections were heavily scrutinized throughout the tournament, with some pundits and fans calling for Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, and Anthony Gordon to start games or be brought on earlier as substitutes.
Walker noted that players “understand that the manager has a very, very difficult decision to make,” adding that “it’s not always the starters who go on and get all the plaudits.”
Watkins scored a 90th-minute winning goal in the semi-final against the Netherlands after being brought on as a late substitute. Chelsea’s Palmer, meanwhile, equalized for England against Spain in the final after being introduced in the second half.
Southgate resigned at the end of the tournament, and Lee Carsley has been appointed as interim manager.
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