Fans believe it’s “time to discuss” a particular Man City player following his performance against Liverpool.

Man City fans believe one player should no longer be shielded from criticism following the team’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at the Etihad.

Liverpool took a significant step toward reclaiming the Premier League title from their longtime rivals with a dominant victory in Manchester.

Guardiola’s side has secured the last four league titles since Liverpool’s previous triumph, but goals from Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai pushed Arne Slot’s team 11 points clear at the top. Despite City’s best efforts, the result never seemed in doubt, leaving fans frustrated with one player’s underwhelming display.

Phil Foden, who was the Premier League’s standout performer last season and claimed the PFA Player of the Year award, has struggled to replicate that form this campaign. For some fans, the loss to Liverpool was the breaking point.

The England international played the full 90 minutes but failed to register a key pass and lost possession 15 times. Following the match, City supporters took to social media to argue that Foden has been overly protected despite his drop in form, even after a strong start to 2025.

One fan wrote: “Foden needs to face more criticism. I love him, but constantly shielding him won’t help. He’s been dreadful this season.”

Another added: “Phil Foden looks worse than Kevin De Bruyne right now, yet people are quick to claim ‘Kevin’s legs are gone’ without realizing how bad Foden has been.”

A third posted: “I haven’t seen anything from Foden in months.”

A fourth commented: “City fans need to stop defending Foden.”

So far, Foden has scored seven Premier League goals and registered just two assists—well below last season’s tally of 19 goals and eight assists.