Manchester City faced another setback with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, as late strikes from substitutes Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley handed the reigning champions their fourth straight loss across all competitions.
This marks the first instance in Pep Guardiola’s coaching career where he has suffered four consecutive defeats, leaving his team in second place in the league with 23 points from 11 games. Meanwhile, Brighton moved up to fourth with 19 points. “We’re going through a challenging phase at the moment, and the international break is possibly timely,” City captain Kyle Walker mentioned to Sky Sports. He continued, “It’s difficult, but this is when you demonstrate character, when you put on your boots and push through adversity. Now we’ll see who really has the resolve and is willing to fight for something noteworthy by the end of the season.” City seemed ready to halt their losing streak after Erling Haaland netted a goal in the 23rd minute.
Mateo Kovacic delivered a long pass between Brighton’s central defenders, allowing the Norwegian forward to score from his own rebound and increase his league-leading tally to 12 goals.
Brighton showed significant improvement after the interval, with Pedro equalising in the 78th minute. City struggled to clear the ball, allowing the Brazilian to seize the opportunity and drive it past Ederson. “Last season we lost too many points, but the manager encouraged us to believe in ourselves this year, and we are performing well against top teams,” Pedro told Sky Sports. O’Riley made a notable Premier League debut by securing the hard-fought win five minutes later. He connected with Pedro’s through ball and finished from close range past Ederson’s extended arm. “The substitutes had a substantial impact on the match,” Brighton manager Fabian Huerzeler remarked. “It’s always beneficial to have a large squad with substitutes who can change the game and be decisive.” Reflecting on the victory, he added, “It’s certainly special. Manchester City are among the world’s elite teams, with Pep Guardiola being one of the top managers globally.
However, a win against them only earns three points, which is why it’s crucial to celebrate, feel proud, and build confidence from these victories while remaining humble and continuing to work hard, as we are still progressing.”
Guardiola, visibly taken aback by the defeat, will lament the missed opportunities City had in the first half, particularly those missed by Haaland in a short period, which on another occasion might have resulted in a hat-trick for the Norwegian. The initial attempt saw goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen block a powerful shot from Haaland with his right ankle at the near post, followed by Haaland’s header narrowly missing the target. Despite Brighton possessing only 39.5% of the ball, there was an air of inevitability about an upcoming goal in the second half. The home team came close shortly after halftime when Jack Hinshelwood rose to meet a looping cross from Pervis Estupinan, only for a vigilant Ederson to parry it away. City’s squad has been plagued by injuries, with Nathan Ake, John Stones, Jack Grealish, and Ruben Dias absent on Saturday, along with longer-term injured players Rodri and Oscar Bobb.
Their last three defeats included a 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur that knocked them out of the League Cup, a surprising 2-1 league defeat at Bournemouth, and a 4-1 Champions League drubbing by Sporting, prompting midfielder Bernardo Silva to describe City as being in a “dark place.”
