Former Red tears into Liverpool after 4-0 defeat at Man City | OneFootball

Former Red tears into Liverpool after 4-0 defeat at Man City | OneFootball

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·5 April 2026

Former Red tears into Liverpool after 4-0 defeat at Man City

Article image:Former Red tears into Liverpool after 4-0 defeat at Man City

It was a performance that has raised serious questions about where Liverpool are right now, and former Red Jermaine Pennant didn’t hold back in his reaction.


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After the 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, the ex-winger took to X to deliver a brutally honest assessment that will resonate with many supporters watching that collapse unfold.

Pennant labels Liverpool performance ‘embarrassing’

The former No.16 didn’t try to dress it up, instead going straight to the heart of the issue after we were swept aside at the Etihad.

He wrote: “4-0 down before 60 mins is embarrassing, doesn’t matter who Liverpool are playing.

“When is enough enough. At what point does big decisions need to be had?

“How can you watch that, and go next season yeah we are going to be better, when at no point this season have we seen it.”

That’s as strong as it gets, and it reflects the growing frustration around a side that has now struggled for consistency across the campaign.

It’s even more concerning when you consider how the game actually started, because for the opening half hour we looked competitive before everything fell apart following the penalty and the goal just before half-time.

‘No point being good for 30 minutes’ as pressure builds

When a supporter pointed out that we had been in the game early on, Pennant doubled down rather than softening his stance.

He replied: “What does first 30 mins get ya? no point being good for 30 mins or 45 mins. 90 mins a game lasts.

“That’s like taking an exam and saying I was good for half of it. Well unfortunately you will fail. Same as what Liverpool are doing.”

That comparison sums up the core issue perfectly, because it’s not about flashes of quality anymore, it’s about delivering across the full 90 minutes, something we’ve repeatedly failed to do.

It also ties into what we saw on the pitch, where despite a promising opening and solid contributions from players like Joe Gomez, we completely lost control once City gained momentum.

The collapse was embarrassing and watching Pep Lijnders rub our faces in it, made it even harder to watch.

With Paris Saint-Germain up next in the Champions League, the timing of this collapse couldn’t be worse, and the pressure is now firmly on Arne Slot to find solutions quickly.

If we don’t respond immediately, this season could unravel completely within the space of a week.

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