Manchester City condemned to back-to-back defeats

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 - 1 Manchester City

Brajan Gruda struck in the 89th minute to hand Brighton their first Premier League victory of the season and consign Manchester City to successive defeats.

Author | Macca

Stadium | Amex Stadium

Former City player James Milner scores a penalty

The German midfielder kept his composure to round James Trafford and finish neatly, moments after the City goalkeeper had denied Jan Paul van Hecke with a fine save.

City had led in the 34th minute through Erling Haaland, who marked his 100th league appearance with his 88th goal, bundling in from close range. But the Norwegian passed up further opportunities that proved decisive for Pep Guardiola’s side.

James Milner levelled from the penalty spot after a Matheus Nunes handball. The 39-year-old, facing his former club, became the second oldest scorer in Premier League history behind Teddy Sheringham. It was his first Brighton goal and his first in the competition since December 2019, when he struck for Liverpool against Leicester.

Galvanised by the equaliser, Brighton pressed for a winner and were rewarded when Gruda broke clear to claim his third goal since joining from Mainz last year.

Defeat leaves City with just three points from their opening three fixtures, while Brighton move on to four after a stirring comeback at the Amex.

Back to the drawing board for City and Guardiola?

Manchester City began their campaign with a confident win at Wolves, but consecutive defeats to Tottenham and Brighton will revive concerns of a repeat of last season, when they ended the year without a major trophy for the first time in eight years.

That slump coincided with Rodri’s long-term knee injury, which kept the Ballon d’Or winner out for much of the campaign. Even with his first league start since a 2-2 draw with Arsenal last September, Guardiola had little to cheer.

Brighton proved stubborn opponents for City last season, with a 2-1 defeat on the south coast in November followed by a 2-2 draw at the Etihad in March. The first half here was tight, although City threatened when Erling Haaland saw a powerful header beaten away by Bart Verbruggen. Nine minutes later, Omar Marmoush slipped him through and the Norwegian made no mistake to mark his milestone appearance with another goal.

City were comfortable before the break, but their control unravelled in the second half as Brighton’s pressure told. The champions failed to muster a shot on target after the restart and their defence was repeatedly exposed.

As the international break begins, Guardiola is left searching for solutions to restore the fluency and dominance that once looked routine.

City fans aren’t happy

View from the away end

There seems to be concerns from City fans that they are making the same mistakes as last season. These are views supported by the two blues we spoke to after the match.

Marcus: Time is up for Pep. There has been no progress from last season, only the same predictable and lifeless football. The club looks more focused on commercial gain than on winning trophies. Recruitment over the past two years has been poor. Vincent Kompany should be brought back.

Patrick: Out of the title race before September. The same flaws as last season persist, with little intensity and a defense that struggles to cope.