Pep Guardiola is done’ – Man City fans explode after incredible scenes vs Fulham

Pep Guardiola stood on the touchline at Craven Cottage with rain pouring down on his head like the sky was angry with Manchester City, and the look on his face told the whole world that something had gone terribly wrong, something deeper than a bad half of football, something that could shake the entire Manchester City era. The fans were shouting, commentators were screaming, and even the Fulham supporters could not believe what they were witnessing because Manchester City, the most dominant team of the last decade, were collapsing again right in front of everyone’s eyes. A 5-1 lead was turning into a nightmare, and people watching from home were wondering if the Pep Guardiola dynasty was finally reaching its breaking point.

The match started like every other typical City game, full control, beautiful football, and early dominance. Erling Haaland scored again, breaking another Premier League record with a goal that reminded fans why he is the most dangerous striker in the world. Tijjani Reijnders scored, Phil Foden danced past defenders like water running around stones, and Sander Berge even scored an own goal to help City stretch their lead. It felt like a normal Tuesday night for City, a routine game that would end in comfort. Fulham had no answers. Their players looked lost. Their fans looked beaten. Their manager, Marco Silva, stood there staring at the pitch like a man waiting for the inevitable.

But football does not follow scripts. Football loves chaos. Football waits for the moment when one team becomes too comfortable and then flips the entire story upside down. That is exactly what happened at Craven Cottage.

Emile Smith Rowe scored Fulham’s first goal, and even though City fans noticed it, they didn’t panic. They believed it was just a small distraction, another typical goal City concede when they are already far ahead. However, the second half became something else completely. It became a warning, a storm, a mirror showing City the truth they didn’t want to see. It became the moment Manchester City fans began to question everything.

Alex Iwobi scored Fulham’s second goal, and suddenly the atmosphere changed. The fans felt it, the players felt it, even Guardiola felt it. The City defence looked nervous. Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias started stepping out too late, losing shape, losing discipline. Every Fulham attack created danger. Every ball into the box caused panic. And then Samuel Chukwueze entered the story like a man on a mission to destroy City’s pride. He scored once. He scored again. And suddenly it was 5-4. Craven Cottage exploded. The fans were screaming. Commentators were losing their minds. Guardiola had his hands on his head as if someone had just told him his passport got stolen. And in the eighth minute of added time, Chukwueze almost scored a hat-trick that would have broken the Premier League internet. The ball rolled past Ederson, heading directly into the net, and Manchester City fans could feel their souls leaving their bodies.

Then Gvardiol appeared like a man desperate to save something from the disaster. He slid in and cleared the ball off the line, saving Guardiola from humiliation and saving City from the kind of result that could destroy a season. Instead of 5-5, City escaped with a 5-4 win, but it didn’t feel like victory. It felt like a warning letter mailed directly into their dressing room. It felt like a message from the football gods saying, “If you continue like this, everything will collapse.

City nearly crumbled against Leeds the week before. They nearly crumbled against Fulham now. A pattern was forming. A dangerous pattern. A pattern that City fans recognised immediately. For years, Manchester City have been the strongest second-half team in the entire league. They finished matches with power. They controlled games until the final whistle. But now they crumble when the pressure comes. They lose intensity. They lose balance. They lose control. Fans started asking questions that were once unthinkable: is the Guardiola era coming to an end?

Manchester City fans online exploded with anger, fear and confusion. They weren’t just reacting to a tough match; they were reacting to a feeling that something fundamental inside the team had changed. One fan wrote, “We need to accept that Guardiola is done,” a sentence that would have been impossible two years ago when City were winning everything. Another fan compared Pep to Erik ten Hag, saying City’s collapse reminded him of Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson left. The idea that Guardiola could be losing control felt like a nightmare, but the performance made it difficult to deny.

Some reactions became emotional, almost dramatic, with one furious supporter saying Guardiola was “ruining his legacy” with these chaotic second-half collapses. Fans questioned why City lose shape after half-time, why the defenders panic, why the midfield disappears, and why Pep’s tactics suddenly look predictable in the second half. They joked that Guardiola coaches the first half and Ten Hag coaches the second. It was harsh, but that’s how football fans react when their team scares them half to death.

People love to talk about nine-goal Premier League games. They talk about Liverpool beating Tottenham 6-3 in 2024, or Southampton losing 9-0 twice. But those games were one-sided stories. This match between Fulham and Manchester City was something different. It was a match of two halves. A match that showed the world the best and worst of Manchester City. A match that revealed a truth City fans have been trying to ignore: they aren’t controlling games the way they used to.

Guardiola has built teams that dominate football, that suffocate opponents, that control every inch of the pitch. But this season, City have been unpredictable. One half they play like champions. The next half they play like a team trying to survive. These last few matches have been filled with sloppy defending, poor concentration, and panic under pressure. Guardiola knew it. The fans knew it. Even the players looked like they knew something was wrong.

Despite everything, City are still only two points behind Arsenal. The title race is still alive. But if City keep performing like this, it won’t stay alive for long. Fulham almost punished them. Leeds almost punished them. Bigger teams will not show mercy. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea—these clubs will destroy City if they defend the way they did at Craven Cottage.

After the match, Guardiola walked off the pitch slowly, soaking wet from the rain, his face saying more than words ever could. He knows City escaped. He knows they weren’t good enough. He knows that if the same thing happens in future matches, City will drop points and lose ground in the title race. He knows that people are beginning to question him, something he has rarely experienced in England. City fans didn’t celebrate the win. They sighed in relief.

This performance will follow them for weeks. It will be replayed on TV. It will be discussed by pundits. Rivals will smile when they watch the highlights. Arsenal fans will watch Fulham’s goals and feel encouraged. Liverpool fans will watch the collapse and feel hope. Everyone who wants Manchester City to fall will use this match as evidence that the dynasty might be weakening.

But the biggest problem is inside the dressing room. Players will feel shaken. Some will feel criticised. Some will lose confidence. Defenders will watch their mistakes again and again and feel embarrassed. Guardiola will try to fix things in training, but even he knows momentum is a fragile thing. Once it breaks, it’s hard to rebuild.

City are still in the race. They still have quality. They still have Haaland, Foden, Rodri, De Bruyne. But something is wrong, and everyone can feel it. If Guardiola cannot fix it fast, the season could end in disappointment. The collapse against Fulham was almost catastrophic, and matches like this can change everything.

And so the story of a chaotic, crazy, unforgettable match becomes part of a larger story about Manchester City’s future. Fans are scared. Rivals are excited. Guardiola is stressed. And the Premier League title race is suddenly more intense than ever. What happened at Craven Cottage may be remembered not just as a nine-goal thriller, but as the night Manchester City looked vulnerable for the first time in years. A night where fans asked the question they never thought they would ask: is the Pep Guardiola era reaching its end