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Manchester City fans expressed their displeasure about the performance of midfielders Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips in their 1-0 EFL Cup third-round loss to Newcastle United on Wednesday (September 27).
Both sides fielded much-changed lineups, with City making seven and Newcastle making 10, leading to a rather tepid first half. City could have taken the lead if not for two squandered opportunities by Julian Alvarez.
It was eventually the Magpies who broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute through Isak, converting a pass from Joelinton. City, though, failed to muster a response, with Grealish and Phillips fading after the break after a bright first half.
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Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes, and Jeremy Doku were thrown into the fray, but the Magpies held on to move on to the next round. It was Manchester City's second loss inside 90 minutes in 38 games across competitions as they exited the cup competition early.
Fans tore with Grealish and Phillips, urging the club to sell the pair to China. One tweeted:
"Phillips and Grealish should be shipped to China."
Another chimed in:
"Phillips, also Grealish, worse than I thought"
Here are some of the top reactions on X, formerly called Twitter:
The Magpies next take on holders Manchester United for a place in the quarterfinals.
"They played aggressive to win the game" - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Manchester City have made a splendid start to the season. After losing to Arsenal on penalties in the FA Community Shield, Pep Guardiola's men won eight straight games across three different competitions.
That saw the Cityzens win their maiden UEFA Super Cup, win their first six league games of the season, and also win their UEFA Champions League opener. However, they stumbled in the opening hurdle of the EFL Cup.
Guardiola, though, had no qualms acknowledging that Newcastle played better and deserved the win, telling Sky Sports (via the BBC):
"We played an incredible game. They increased after the break and were more aggressive. They scored a goal. Last season, we were out against Southampton and not there, but tonight we were. Congratulations to Newcastle."
He added:
"They start to be more aggressive. Yeah, it was a tight game, and the players who played played really good. It is football. The way we played in the first half and second half was amazing. But they played aggressive to win the game."
City will hope to return to winning ways in the Premier League this weekend when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (September 30). They lead the standings by two points over second-placed Liverpool (16 points).
