Gary Neville has questioned whether the recent attention over Manchester City being charged by the Premier League has begun to seep into the team's performances.
The club were found guilty of 114 serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules in September. Man City deny all the charges and have lodged an appeal against the verdict. No sanctions have yet been announced.
However, Enzo Maresca's side have now lost their last three matches in the Premier League, including a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
It has seen them slip into third place - six points behind leaders Arsenal - and Sky Sports pundit Neville says the external attention cannot be ruled out as a contributing factor to their form.
He told NBC Sports' Premier League Mornings: "Something's just not right at the moment and worrying. Things point towards the obvious cloud hanging over the club.
"Is it finally catching up with them in terms of the mental fatigue of what would be negative publicity they've had on the players? Are they drained physically and mentally through that or are they just going through a bad patch?
"Either way, Maresca has got to sort it out quite quickly in the international break because that won't be tolerated. Losing games like that doesn't happen very often.
"It's all everybody's talking about back home in the last month or so, and those players will be getting asked constantly, 'What do you think is going to happen? What happens if they do get relegated? Will you stay?'.
"Now you imagine that your family is having to put up with that, your agent's continually thinking about those types of things, so it can't be ruled out as a factor that's going to start to seep in.
"If you lose a football match or two and then you can start to look at that as an excuse, but they've got to play better, they've got to compete in games, they've got to make sure that they do better on the pitch from a tactical and physical perspective.
"But I do believe it will be having some impact just because of the weight of what's been hitting them from a publicity point of view in the last four to six weeks."
'Brighton closer to challenging Arsenal than Man City'
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp does not consider Manchester City to be Arsenal's closest challengers for the Premier League title.
"That is a sore one," he said after Saturday's game. "It gives you the feeling in terms of who can challenge Arsenal: I just don't see one.
"Right now, the one I would point to is Brighton - and I never thought I'd be saying that at the start of the season.
"You've got William Saliba coming back for Arsenal. The players they have defensively...you will never see Arsenal looking as open as City looked.
"I don't see anything other than Arsenal running away with it at this point. They are just so much better than everyone else in every single area."
Kuobklmnrz
0
You can say that again, Neville. We are on a league of our own. No worries.
Tiuiklnryz
0
At least haters will be laughing inside their hearts,if mancity have been faltering the way they use to before Guardiola, Nobody would have ever thought of charging them at all,look at what it has done to English football, boring and unwatchable!!! No English side will achieve anything in Europe from now on!
Thats ur business bruh
dougiefresh
0
At least haters will be laughing inside their hearts,if mancity have been faltering the way they use to before Guardiola, Nobody would have ever thought of charging them at all,look at what it has done to English football, boring and unwatchable!!! No English side will achieve anything in Europe from now on!
and what has city achieved in europe
resabekpst
1
Champion-elect Arsenal... Again 👍🏻✅
I respect your honest opinion.
resabekpst
1
Long may it last, they haven’t got the right mentality to cope with what’s around the corner.
truthisbitter
0
At least haters will be laughing inside their hearts,if mancity have been faltering the way they use to before Guardiola, Nobody would have ever thought of charging them at all,look at what it has done to English football, boring and unwatchable!!! No English side will achieve anything in Europe from now on!
cebbcimosy
0
So when they were winning 7 in a low, where were you with these comments of yours?? And performance-wise City are doing well they just don't finish numerous chances they create.
before you say a lot of things read what he has said unlike right up rubbish all because you have to respond
ColinsGooner
5
Man city fans must just accept that their time of dominance is over,Arsenal have taken over and it hurts Arsenal haters so much,but We don't care,cry us River and sink in it
Beacekrsz
2
So when they were winning 7 in a low, where were you with these comments of yours?? And performance-wise City are doing well they just don't finish numerous chances they create.
SGTSingam
5
Champion-elect Arsenal... Again 👍🏻✅