"Should never play for this club", "Having regular stinkers this season" - Fans slam Manchester City star for showing in 5-1 loss to Arsenal

Fans reacted to Manuel Akanji's performance in Manchester City's heavy 5-1 Premier League defeat at Arsenal on Sunday (February 2). The win kept the Gunners in second, six points behind leaders Liverpool in the title race.

Mikel Arteta's side drew first blood as early as the second minute, thanks to Martin Odegaard's strike following Akanji squandering possession. Kai Havertz - who assisted Odegaard - was guilty of a presentable opening to put his side two goals to the good.

The visitors drew level in the 55th minute through Erling Haaland, but Mikel Arteta's side scored four times without reply as City succumbed to one of their heaviest league defeats in a while.

Fans reacted to Akanji's performance against Arsenal, with one tweeting:

"Akanji needs to go ASAP, lazy and disinterested shambles."

Another chimed in:

"Ajkanji is another player having regular stinkers this season. Even in that Khusanov error, he played a part. Another bench player starting games."

There were similar reactions from other fans, with one tweeting:

"I'm officially an Akanji hater."

Another posted:

"I don't want to see Akanji in ManCity anymore. Dreadful careless slow & pathetic"

One fan wrote:

"Akanji should never play for this club."

The defeat marked a low in Pep Guardiola's illustrious managerial career, conceding over four goals in a league game for the fourth time in a season. City remain fourth in the standings but are 15 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool (56), who also have a game in hand.

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"I only regret the last 25 minutes" - Manchester City boss after heavy defeat to Arsenal

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola minced no words about his team's performance as they imploded in the final half hour at the Emirates after drawing level.

Following Haaland's second-half equaliser for City, Arsenal retook the lead through Thomas Partey before Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri joined the party.

"I only regret the last 25 minutes," lamented Guardiola (as per the BBC). "We forgot to do what we should do, what we had done for 65 to 70 minutes. Of course, it's a difficult game in this stadium, against that team, conceding in the first minutes - it has happened many times this season."

With City all but out of the Premier League title race, they next take on Lleyton Orient away in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday (February 8).