The England number one has come under increased scrutiny in the past week following two costly errors in City's 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.

And the intensity was amplified further when Hart failed to prevent Romelu Lukaku's close-range effort despite getting a strong hand to the ball in City's 3-1 home triumph over Everton on Saturday.

Zabaleta admitted Hart was despondent, but he backed the 25-year-old to return to his high standards before long.

"We saw him during the week a little bit down," Zabaleta said. "We need him to come back again to his best.

"Sometimes it happens in football but that's why team-mates need to support all the players. He knows we're all behind him.

"Of course he's upset. It's really hard for any player when you know you're not doing well. He has a personality so he needs to show that he's coming back to his best. And I'm sure he will do because he's a great goalkeeper.

"We've seen him for a long time doing very well so that's why it's strange to see him like this."

City's victory over Everton was particularly crucial after back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Bayern.

They occupy fifth position in the Premier League with 13 points from seven matches.