The noise inside St James’ Park was deafening, but even louder were the voices online after the match. Manchester City fans could not keep calm, they were boiling with anger, disappointment and heartbreak, and this time all the fingers were pointing at one man — Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper who arrived in the summer with huge expectations, with a name that echoed across Europe, with a reputation so big that the fanbase believed he would be a wall that no striker could break. But after the 2-1 loss to Newcastle United, everything changed. The love, the admiration and the trust from many fans quickly turned into frustration, doubt and aggression. It was no longer just a defeat. It was the day Manchester City fans said, “You can’t deny it any longer.”
The match itself had drama from start to finish. Harvey Barnes did the damage scoring twice, with Ruben Dias equalising in between to give City hope. Pep Guardiola watched painfully from the touchline as his team fought hard, created chances and were physical in every duel. Yet the story that overshadowed everything happened inside the Manchester City penalty box. The moment the ball travelled from the corner, floated dangerously, then fell to Barnes who buried it into the net while Donnarumma was lying on the ground, claiming he had been fouled. It was like déjà vu for many fans, something they felt they had seen too many times. It wasn’t the first time. They believed it wouldn’t be the last. That was where the anger erupted.
Donnarumma did make some massive saves earlier in the match. There was a huge stop in the first half that prevented Barnes from scoring earlier. There was a world-class reaction save in the second half that kept City alive. But none of it mattered to the fans after the final whistle. In their eyes, those saves were erased by one single thing — the winning goal they believed the Italian should have prevented. They didn’t want excuses. They didn’t want explanations. They didn’t want to hear that he was fouled. They had made up their mind: he needed to be stronger.
Social media turned into a battlefield. Post after post, tweet after tweet, video clip after video clip, all of them pointing to the same conclusion. One fan said that Donnarumma passed the ball straight to a Newcastle player inside the first 30 seconds, produced world-class saves throughout the match, then pretended to be fouled for the winning goal. Another fan added that it was now obvious the Premier League is not like Europe and if Donnarumma didn’t bulk up and become more powerful, every single club would target him from corners. Others were shocked that a goalkeeper so tall and so big could be pushed around like a lightweight. Some even laughed bitterly as they typed, asking how a 6-foot-plus goalkeeper could collapse to the ground from such minimal contact.
The comments kept getting harsher. One person said Donnarumma should stop complaining and start attacking the ball instead of falling down when someone stands next to him. Another questioned why he keeps going to the referee every time he concedes instead of concentrating on what is happening in the box. A different fan posted angrily that it was embarrassing, that the players should be ashamed of themselves and especially Donnarumma. Some fans were blunt and emotional. Some were angry but calm. Some just looked tired. Tired of the same thing happening again and again. They wanted change, not excuses.
Others started questioning the transfer itself. They asked why City signed him when the club already had a young goalkeeper developing in James Trafford. They wondered if Guardiola made the right choice. They said nobody wanted to listen before, but now the evidence is too big to ignore. The phrase “You can’t deny it any longer” suddenly spread like wildfire across fan pages, Twitter, group chats and commeents. The idea behind it was simple: the weaknesses Donnarumma is showing in the Premier League were already known from his time at PSG and AC Milan, but the club ignored it. The fans predicted this and now it has happened again.
Even those who tried to defend Donnarumma did not deny the pattern. Many agreed that he is one of the best shot-stoppers in the world. They said he can save almost anything when the ball is coming from open play. They said he has reflexes of a monster and can rescue the team when it looks impossible. But they also said that every time there is a corner, every time there is a cross, every time a team loads bodies around him inside the box, there is fear that something will go wrong. They said every opposition coach now understands that set-pieces might be the key to shocking City.
The worst part for Donnarumma is that this is not a small fan reaction. This is not a few people overreacting. This is a large, wide, loud conversation happening everywhere, and for the first time the majority believe the Italian is responsible for a big defeat. Even though the striker scored, even though the defenders could have done better, even though the midfield could have closed down crosses, fans kept returning to one talking point — the goalkeeper needs to be stronger in the air.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has a difficult challenge. He knows how to protect a player from criticism. He has done it many times. But this situation is different because Manchester City are in a title race with Arsenal. Liverpool and Chelsea are also breathing down their neck. There is no space for soft goals. There is no space for mistakes that cost points. These are the results that decide the Premier League trophy in May. These are the nights that break or build champions.
Donnarumma himself walked off at full-time frustrated, waving his arms toward the referee, showing the officials the replays on the stadium screens and insisting that he had been fouled. His teammates looked exhausted and disappointed, but his reaction made some fans even angrier. They wanted him to accept responsibility. They wanted him to stand strong instead of looking for sympathy from referees.
Inside the dressing room, nobody knows exactly what was said, but it is clear that Guardiola will have to make a huge decision soon. Will he trust Donnarumma, believing that he will adapt to the English game and get stronger? Or will he protect the team by rotating goalkeepers and reintroducing James Trafford into the starting lineup? If Trafford comes in, Donnarumma will feel humiliated. If Donnarumma stays, the fan pressure will continue. Either way, someone will not be happy.
But the most painful thing for many fans is the fear of what might happen next. They worry that rival clubs will start playing for corners, crowding the goalkeeper and taking advantage of his weakness. They worry that this is only the beginning of a bigger problem. They want change fast before more points are dropped.
Even those who admire Donnarumma are saying he needs help. They say the goalkeeper coach must focus on commanding the box. They say the defenders must protect him better. They say Guardiola must change something. But for other fans, the message is not complicated. They say that they warned the club long ago and now the truth is exposed for everybody to see. They want action now, not patience.
The platform X (formerly Twitter) exploded with reactions, some emotional, some sarcastic, some furious. One fan posted that he is tired of Donnarumma falling down every time someone touches him. Another fan said goalkeepers in the Premier League must be stronger because the football is physical, aggressive and direct. Somebody even wrote that City will not win the league if this continues and that rivals will target Donnarumma every week.
The anger wasn’t only about the goal. It was about trust. Fans want to believe that their goalkeeper can save them when it matters most. Some fans spent the night awake, replaying the moment repeatedly, asking themselves how a goalkeeper so giant could end up sitting on the grass while the opponent scored. They said it didn’t even look like a foul — it looked like a goalkeeper who stopped focusing on the ball and started focusing on the bodies around him.
Meanwhile, supporters of other clubs started mocking Manchester City online. They laughed, posting that City’s weakness had finally been discovered. And the mocking messages only made the City fanbase even more aggressive in their anger.
Donnarumma will wake up this morning and see the criticism everywhere. He will see videos showing the winning goal. He will see fans saying that he cost the team the match. He will see messages claiming he should not have been signed. Football is cruel. When you are praised, you are worshipped. When you make a mistake, people forget everything good you have done.
And yet, there is still a chance for redemption. Some fans still believe Donnarumma will become a monster in the Premier League if he learns quickly. They say he needs to get angry, get fearless and get powerful. They say he needs to use his body like a weapon inside the penalty area. They say he needs to stand his ground and protect City like a warrior. They say he can go from being the problem to being the hero — but it has to happen fast.
Because this is not the French league. This is not Serie A. This is the Premier League where every mistake is punished and every weakness is hunted.
Manchester City will move on to the next match but the memory of Newcastle will not disappear easily. The love story between Donnarumma and the fans has hit a major storm and nobody knows how it will end. All we know for now is one painful truth that echoed louder than any other voice last night
