“Worst Pep player ever”, “Very mid” - Fans slam Manchester City star for his performance in 2-1 loss against Aston Villa

A section of Manchester City fans on X have branded Rico Lewis as Pep Guardiola's worst-ever player after he struggled to make an impact against Aston Villa. The Cityzens went down 1-2 in their Premier League fixture at Villa Park on Saturday, December 21.

Despite dominating possession early on, Manchester City suffered a massive blow in the 16th minute when Jhon Duran tapped home to give the hosts the lead. Morgan Rogers struck the woodwork in the 60th minute but was not to be denied five minutes later with a tidy finish to double their advantage. Phil Foden netted a consolation goal (90+3') but was unable to reverse his side's fortunes.

Rico Lewis started the game in defense, but was moved further up in central midfield after the break. However, the 20-year-old was poor, making Villa more dominant in midfield.

Fans weren't impressed by his performance as one posted:

"Rico Lewis is the worst Pep player ever. Its not that he cant play football, he just average player. Not excels in anything. He just there to keep possession."

Another Manchester City fan tweeted:

"I don’t understand Pep’s obsession with Rico Lewis,man is a very mid player."

Other fans reacted below:

"At the start of the season they said Rico Lewis is generational and now they’re saying he should still be playing U-14 games I’m crying yo," one fan commented.

"No one can convince me Rico Lewis playing every game isn't the reason for Man City's downfall," another added.

"I don't see what Pep sees in Rico Lewis," one fan admitted.

"If Rico Lewis didn’t come from the academy, absolutely no one would think he was good enough to start," another chimed in.

"Lost count how many times I’ve said this but Rico Lewis is not good enough," another insisted.

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"I haven't been doing things good enough" - Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland makes honest admission following Aston Villa loss

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has admitted he needs to do better after he had a poor outing during their 1-2 loss to Aston Villa. The Cityzens suffered their ninth defeat in 12 games across competitions. They are now sixth in the Premier League table with 27 points from 17 games, nine points behind leaders Liverpool - who have two games in hand.

Haaland was ineffective against Villa, creating zero chances, and landing zero shots on target from one attempt. He also completed just eight passes from 12 with an accuracy of 67 percent.

Following the game, he told TNT Sports (via @City_Xtra):

"First I'm looking at myself, I haven't been doing things good enough, I haven't been scoring my chances. I have to do better, I haven't been good enough..."

Haaland has scored 18 goals and provided one assist in 24 appearances across competitions for Manchester City this season. However, the goals have slowed down in recent weeks, with the 24-year-old netting just three in the league from his last 11 games.