Manchester City suffered their second straight defeat of the Premier League season on Sunday afternoon as they were beaten 2–1 by Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
Erling Haaland was the difference-maker during the first half as he scored his third goal of the season for City following Omar Marmoush’s neat pass inside the penalty area, with Brighton managing just one shot and 0.04 expected goals before the break.
But Brighton’s second-half substitutes completely swung the game in their favour and goals from James Milner and Brajan Gruda completed a staggering turnaround, with City entering the September international break off the back of a shock defeat.
Here are three takeaways from the clash on the south coast.
More Defensive Issues for Pep Guardiola
City’s disastrous defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend proved that Pep Guardiola’s side are yet to turn the corner. The defensive issues that were prevalent last season reared their ugly head against Spurs, with the City manager employing a much-changed backline at the Amex in an attempt to fix the problem.
Brighton’s apathetic performance for the first hour ensured City’s new-look defence was relatively untested, but they collapsed as soon as the Seagulls injected more urgency. The high line was repeatedly breached and the hosts managed 11 shots, three big chances and 2.25 expected goals in the second period.
Both Abdukodir Khusanov and John Stones were unconvincing under pressure, Matheus Nunes needlessly raised his arms inside the penalty area to gift Brighton their equaliser and Rayan Aït-Nouri lost more duels (10) than any other player on the pitch as the Seagulls began to find joy in wide areas. Ultimately, the back four imploded as soon as they were met with any resistance.
If City are going to ascend to the summit of English football once more, such defensive performances are simply unacceptable.
Erling Haaland Celebrates 100th Premier League Appearance
Sunday’s trip to the Amex Stadium marked Haaland’s 100th appearance in the Premier League and, rather unsurprisingly, he celebrated by etching his name on the scoresheet. The Scandi sharpshooter fired five shots towards Bart Verbruggen’s goal during the first half and found the net on his fifth attempt as he caressed the ball into the bottom corner from close range.
Haaland’s effort offered another stark reminder of his brilliance—the Norwegian’s 88th goal in the competition is nine more than any other player after a century of appearances in the competition’s history. It was not a clinical first-half display from Haaland, who attempted just one pass before the break, but, once again, he made the telling contribution.
It was a performance that epitomised what Haaland offers City. He will never be a forward who knits play together, creates space for others and tees up teammates, but his relentless goalscoring returns more than make up for his lack of impact outside of the penalty area.
Despite the result, Haaland’s ludicrous numbers still deserve recognition.
Rodri Returns to Starting Lineup
Almost a year after his last Premier League start, Rodri made his return to Guardiola’s XI. The Spaniard, who suffered yet another injury setback at the FIFA Club World Cup following last term’s ACL tear, managed a brief cameo in defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, but Sunday marked his full comeback.
Rodri’s injury derailed City’s 2024–25 campaign such is the Ballon d’Or winner’s impact, with his return to the engine room signalling the beginning of the healing process for the eight-time Premier League champions.
He wasted no time in adopting the role of conductor, dropping between the centre halves when City were in possession to dictate the tempo. Nobody had more touches (57) than the 29-year-old during the first half and he managed a team-high six passes into the final third, which were instrumental in breaking through Brighton’s intense press.
City lost control of proceedings after the hour mark as Fabian Hürzeler’s quadruple substitution turned the game around, with even the composure and elegance of Rodri unable to prevent a dramatic comeback. Still, the midfielder can leave the Amex with his head held high after an impressive showing on his return to the team.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Takeaways As Man City Surrender Lead in Disappointing Defeat at Brighton.
