Manchester City supporters turned their attention to team selection rather than the opposition before their FA Cup clash with Liverpool, as Pep Guardiola opted to leave Rayan Aït-Nouri out of his starting line-up at the Etihad Stadium.
The Sky Blues welcomed Liverpool on Saturday, 4 April, and eventually defeated the Reds 4-0, but it was the absence of the 24-year-old defender that quickly became a talking point among fans online.
Many had expected Aït-Nouri to feature from the outset, particularly given his recent performances and attacking qualities from wide areas.
Instead, Guardiola named a side that included James Trafford in goal ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Across the backline, Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly were deployed as full-backs, with Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi operating centrally.
In midfield, Rodri anchored the side in his usual holding role, supported by Bernardo Silva and Rayan Cherki. The attacking flanks were occupied by Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku, while Erling Haaland led the line.
Fans react to Aït-Nouri omission
Despite the strength of the selected XI, a section of the Manchester City fanbase voiced frustration over Guardiola’s decision to leave Aït-Nouri among the substitutes and also failed to get any minute during the victory.
The defender’s absence prompted a wave of reactions on social media, with many questioning the reasoning behind the call.
One supporter, identified as nassimthur, posted simply: “Ait Nouri ???”, reflecting the confusion shared by others.
Another fan, midyrebeu, wrote: “ManCity @etihad Ait Nour deserves to start”.
The sentiment was echoed by Jon† #NUKECITY, who asked: “@ManCity @etihad What did ait Nouri do to deserve this”. Meanwhile, lyes_k added: “@ManCity @etihad Ait nouri ?🤦♂️”.
Despite the victory, some supporters went further, suggesting that the Algerian’s inclusion could have strengthened the team’s attacking options.
Hamilton commented: “@ManCity @etihad I dont know whybi always like Ait – Nouri, him and doku in same wing will always finish opponent Rb”.
- Pundit defends Man City star’s controversial moment, blasts his critics
- Ex-Ref Chief exposes ‘Massive Blunder’ by Michael Oliver in City vs Liverpool
Another user, Pepguardiola, expressed partial approval of the line-up but still highlighted the omission, writing: “Almost got everything right, just Ait Nouri! Lets go”.
Meanwhile, Guardiola is no stranger to bold selection decisions, particularly in high-profile fixtures, and his team choices often reflect tactical considerations tailored to specific opponents.
However, the decision to omit Aït-Nouri in this instance has drawn particular attention due to the player’s perceived ability to influence games from wide positions.
With Doku already offering pace and directness on the flank, some fans believed that pairing him with Aït-Nouri would have created additional problems for Liverpool’s defence.
Instead, Guardiola opted for a different balance which gave them the commanding victory. He trusted his chosen full-backs and midfield structure to control proceedings.
