Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes that Manchester City's defensive woes are due to their ageing defence, and it would take more than the return of skipper Vincent Kompany to fix that.

The Sky Sports analyst mentioned the defeats against Tottenham, Liverpool and Stoke City to signal out the frailties of City's defence against fast and energetic teams.

"Now a lot has been made over the weekend of City missing Vincent Kompany, of course, but this has nothing to do with Vincent Kompany," said Carragher on Sky Sports.

"In relation to this game, you think of young, energetic attackers running in behind them.

"Who did that last weekend or so? Liverpool. Who were the other team you would say is the most energetic in the league? Tottenham have done exactly the same. Now three of this back four - Sagna, Kolarov and Demichelis - played in all of those games.

"Of course they miss Kompany, but all those players are in their thirties."