Kyle Walker addresses Erling Haaland debate after Man City defeat at Spurs

Kyle Walker recognised it can be difficult for new players to fit into Pep Guardiola’s set-up, amid questions over top scorer Erling Haaland

City’s struggles this season continued on Sunday as they once again failed to win or even score for the first time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they lost 1-0, with Harry Kane’s record-breaking goal the difference.

Kane’s opposite number, Haaland, struggled to make an impression on the game and didn’t manage a shot or even a touch of the ball in the Spurs box.

As a result, questions have been asked over whether Manchester City have become a worse side with Erling Haaland up front, despite the Norwegian topping the Premier League scoring charts

“It’s a process – he’s come to Manchester City and it’s a difficult team to fit into as the manager demands so much and the way we play. It’s unique,” Walker told Sky Sports after the defeat.

“Erling has been fantastic. No-one says anything when he’s scoring goals and winning. All of sudden now when we don’t win and he doesn’t score, they say ‘is it the problem, do we play better without him?’

“I hear it all the time. But no-one is complaining when he’s scored his 25th goal of the season. This is the team we’ve got now until the end of the season. We’ll fight until the end.”

The result means City have failed to close the gap on table-toppers Arsenal after the Gunners slipped to their second defeat of the season against Everton on Saturday. Walker has bemoaned the missed opportunity but remains hopeful City can claim the title.

“Of course it is [ a disappointment]. They dropped points, we needed to pick up points to close the gap but there is still a lot of football to play,” he added. “I’ve been here many of many of years in the Premier League and I know the twists and turns that can happen. I know what this team is about, I know what this team can do and we can go on runs from now until the end of the season and it’s just about us doing that.