“Nearly out of the club”, “So weird” – Manchester City fans question Guardiola’s decision to leave 2 players out of line-up to face West Ham United

Manchester City fans on Twitter were baffled by Pep Guardiola's decision not to name Aymeric Laporte and Ederson in the team's starting lineup to take on West Ham United on Wednesday, May 3.

Stefan Ortega has been given a rare chance to start between the sticks against West Ham.

Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Nathan Ake are the four defenders. Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Julian Alvarez start in midfield. Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish form the forward line alongside Erling Haaland.

Ederson has been a key player for the Sky Blues this season. The Brazilian keeper has made 42 appearances across competitions, keeping 16 clean sheets.

Laporte, meanwhile, has helped the team keep nine clean sheets in 19 matches. Given the busy schedule that Stones and Dias have been through, fans expected Guardiola to name Laporte in the first XI for the clash against West Ham.

One fan expressed his surprise, writing on Twitter:

"So weird that ederson got benched."

Another claimed:

"No Laporte for the 3rd time straight oh my days he's nearly out of the club."

The Cityzens will have the chance to go atop the league table ahead of Arsenal with a win. They have 76 points from 32 games and trail Mikel Arteta's team by two points. However, Guardiola's side have played two games less.

Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter from Manchester City fans after their lineup to face West Ham United was announced:

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola compared Erling Haaland to Lionel Messi

Since his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm. He has scored 50 goals in 44 matches across competitions, including 34 in 30 Premier League matches.

Guardiola was recently asked whether Haaland is similar to Lionel Messi in terms of his impact. The Spanish coach claimed that the Norwegian has the mentality. However, he needs to sustain it throughout his career. Guardiola said (via The Guardian):

"In terms of goals and mentality, yeah. But Messi has done it every season in the last 10-15. Erling since he started at Salzburg has got to the same level in terms of goals. It’s almost every game, he scores a goal."

Haaland's rich vein of form in front of goal has been one of the main reasons behind Manchester City's push for the Premier League title this season.