Should be sent to the U21s”, “Enough of this laziness” – Manchester City fans furious with duo despite dramatic 5-4 win over Fulham

The night at the Etihad Stadium was supposed to be a normal Premier League evening, a routine match that Manchester City fans expected to end in comfort, calm, and control. For many supporters walking into the stadium, the feeling was simple: City will win, and City will win big. The champions were at home, the weather was cold, and the fans were ready to see goals. Fulham did not arrive with any big expectations, and the entire football world believed City would walk through the match without stress. But football is a strange game. It can turn joy into fear, confidence into chaos, and certainty into confusion in just a few minutes. And on this night, Manchester City experienced all of that and more. A match that looked finished at 5-1 suddenly became the craziest roller coaster the Etihad had seen in years, ending 5-4 and leaving fans angry, shocked, and demanding answers.

Manchester City were cruising. They were winning 5-1 by the 54th minute. The players were smiling, the fans were singing, and Pep Guardiola stood on the touchline with that small calm expression he wears when he believes everything is under control. But football decided to teach everyone a lesson. Fulham refused to collapse, refused to accept defeat, and refused to allow City to walk away comfortably. Instead, they turned the match into a nightmare for Manchester City. They scored once, then again, then again until the scoreboard read 5-4 with twelve minutes left. Suddenly, the match that felt finished became a story of fear. The Etihad turned silent. The fans could feel trouble. The players could feel pressure. Guardiola could feel danger.

And because football is emotional, fans immediately looked for someone to blame. They looked at the players who were not giving enough energy, not showing enough fight, and not reacting with the urgency needed to stop the collapse. Two names stood out: Bernardo Silva and Savinho. These two became the centre of anger from Manchester City fans, and the reactions online exploded. Many supporters believed the two players were responsible for the chaos, calling their performances lazy, weak, and unacceptable.

Twitter, as always, became a battlefield of emotions. The anger poured in, one tweet after another, and Manchester City fans refused to hide their frustration. Some said the players looked like they no longer cared. Some said they were playing like they had already checked out of the club. Others demanded immediate action in the January transfer window. The fans wanted big changes, big decisions, and strong reactions from the club.

One fan named Erik posted boldly that both Bernardo and Savio should be sent to the U21s. To him, the performance was not only bad but embarrassing. In his mind, a player who cannot fight in the Premier League has no business playing for a team like Manchester City. Another fan, PJ, was even more direct. He wrote that Bernardo had been run through the entire second half, losing his energy, losing his control, yet Guardiola kept him on the pitch. He also attacked Savio, claiming he could not pass, could not run, could not shoot, and could not hold the ball properly. For PJ, bringing Savio on was simply a mistake that almost cost the team the match.

Another fan spoke about mentality, something Manchester City fans value greatly. He said Savinho does not care, that Bernardo is already mentally gone, and that the club needs to spend big in the next transfer window. The message was clear: new right-back, new energy, new mentality, and no more laziness. These words showed the frustration that had built inside supporters, especially after watching a comfortable match become a near disaster.

Some fans went even further. One said both players were useless. Another said the manager should have brought on Marmoush instead of Savinho. A different fan demanded that Savinho, Bernardo, and even Ake should be sold, while the club should buy Semenyo, Guehi, and Anderson. Everyone had an opinion, and everyone had a solution. The match ended 5-4, but the emotions continued long after the final whistle.

Pep Guardiola himself could not hide his confusion. When he spoke after the match, he admitted he had no answer for what happened. He said football is emotional and unpredictable. He said all the goals conceded were bad defending, that the team dropped too deep, and that they failed to occupy spaces properly. He said the team made good things but also terrible mistakes that almost destroyed the match. He even mentioned that Haaland had a chance to make it 6-3, but missed, and seconds later Fulham scored to make it 5-4. The manager laughed in disbelief, admitting even his own players had no explanation for what happened. Football sometimes needs luck, and on this night Manchester City had just enough luck to survive.

Guardiola also spoke about the Premier League title and said he was not thinking about it right now. He said the league is long, very long, and anything can happen. He said he is the oldest manager in the league and has enough experience to know that the title cannot be predicted in December. He even praised Chelsea’s improvement under Enzo Maresca and said the competition is strong. For him, survival was more important than the title on this night.

But for Manchester City fans, survival was not enough. They wanted dominance. They wanted control. They wanted the Manchester City they were used to — the City that suffocates teams, controls possession, wins with calmness, and ends matches without chaos. The 5-4 match felt like a warning. It felt like a sign that something is missing. The energy, the sharpness, the hunger, and the concentration did not look like the Manchester City fans knew for many years. And because fans react emotionally, Bernardo Silva and Savinho became the faces of their frustration.

Bernardo Silva is a player fans once adored. He was the engine of the midfield, the player who ran nonstop, pressed opponents, and created chances with intelligence and creativity. But against Fulham, many fans believed he looked tired, slow, and uninterested. They said he looked like a player who wanted to leave. Some remembered the summer transfer rumors and believed his mind was no longer at Manchester City. The match only made these fears stronger.

Savinho, on the other hand, is young and talented, but fans felt he was not ready for the intensity of the Premier League. They said he lacked confidence, lacked physical strength, and lost the ball too easily. And in a moment of chaos, every mistake becomes louder, every error becomes bigger, and every weakness becomes more visible. The fans turned their frustration toward him quickly, demanding he be sold or replaced.

The anger was not just about this match. It was about fear. Fear that the team was losing control. Fear that the energy of previous seasons was fading. Fear that Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea were getting stronger. Fear that Manchester City were slowly losing the small details that made them champions. Football fans worry fast, and these worries exploded after the 5-4 match.

But in reality, every team goes through difficult moments. Even the strongest teams face matches where everything collapses. City won the match, but the emotions made it feel like a loss. And because emotions drive football, social media reacted with fire. Fans forget the good moments and focus on the bad ones. They forget the trophies and remember the mistakes. They forget the victories and attack the weaknesses.

Now Manchester City must prepare for Sunderland next, a match that suddenly feels important for restoring confidence. After that, they face Real Madrid in the Champions League, a team that does not forgive mistakes. If the fans were angry after Fulham, the anger will be doubled if the team collapses again in Europe. The pressure is high, and Guardiola knows it.

But football is a long journey. A single match does not define a season, even if the emotions are strong. Manchester City survived. They got three points. They remain close to Arsenal in the table. And despite fan frustration, the Premier League is still open, still long, and still unpredictable.

Yet the story of the night was simple: the fans wanted answers, the players looked confused, Guardiola admitted he had no explanation, and the anger toward Bernardo Silva and Savinho became the centre of discussion. Whether they stay or leave, whether they improve or struggle, whether the fans forgive or remain angry — the future is undecided.

But one thing is clear: Manchester City cannot afford another night like this. Not in the Premier League. Not in the Champions League. Not with the pressure building and the expectations rising. The team must find its energy, find its rhythm, and find its identity again. Because if they continue giving fans nights filled with fear, confusion, and chaos, the anger will only grow stronger

And for now, the story continues, the pressure continues, the debates continue, and the voices of Manchester City fans echo across social media, demanding better, demanding stronger performances, and demanding that the club act fast in January.