‘Nobody is saying I don’t want to win!’ - Rico Lewis lifts the lid on Man City’s confidence-sapped dressing room amid alarming run of one win in 12

Lewis has insisted that the City squad are still fighting to win matches, despite winning one game in 12 across all competitions. The young defender admits that things are not quite clicking for the side at the moment but believes the time for talking about their poor form is over and that they must now start performing. City slumped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on Saturday and sit nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand.

After the game, Lewis said: "Of course, there's leaders in the dressing room that are natural leaders.

"They can speak, everyone listens and everyone agrees. But when it comes down to it, it's not what is said in the changing room, it's affecting the pitch and what we're doing on the pitch.

"That's what needs to be solved. Nobody is going onto the pitch saying 'I'm not doing that', or 'I don't want to win'. It's difficult right now but we have to stick together."

Alarm bells are ringing at the Etihad and, should they not pick up maximum points from their next two games against Everton at home and Leicester away, fans will begin to question how far City could fall. As teams around them continue to pick up points, City could end up in danger of being dragged into a fight for Champions League qualification - a competition they have not been out of since they qualified in 2011 for the first time since 1968.

Lewis will be desperate to prove that he and his City teammates have not given up hope for their season. They could still win the FA Cup, Champions League and, with a miracle, the Premier League this season but there is serious work to be done for Guardiola's men to rebuild their form and confidence.