CNN
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Pep Guardiola was visibly frustrated after another defeat of his team in the Premier League, which left Manchester City six points from the only leader, Liverpool, which marches with ideal score after the first three days.
The Citizens had started well on Sunday afternoon during their visit to Brighton, showing a clear domain of the game and anticipating on the scoreboard thanks to Erling Haaland’s goal (number 88 in 100 games in the Premier League). The City had several occasions to expand the advantage, especially on Haaland’s feet, but left the seagulls alive.
In the second half, the visiting team threw everything overboard. First with a penalty that veteran James Milner (former player of the celestial) converted for 1-1, and then with a bad marking that allowed 2-1 to 89 minutes of play, work of Brajan Gruda.
After the game, Guardiola sentenced that his team “threw the game” after the prison that meant the draw of the premises: “We decided to play long, more direct. It’s fine, but you have to be prepared for that. We were not prepared to win the second balls.”
“At that time we forget to start playing as we had done brilliantly in the first hour against a difficult opponent,” said the Citizens coach.
More critical was even the Spanish midfielder Rodri: “Some of the mistakes we make are children’s mistakes. We are not concentrated or paying attention. The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.”
It is clear that the Premier League has just begun, but Manchester City seems to navigate the same waters of irregularity that already traveled in the last season. The 2025/2026 began with a solid triumph against Wolverhampton by 4 to 0 away from home, but on the second day he fell in his stadium against Tottenham 2-0.
“We have a very good team, but many things have changed. It is normal for us to need time to adapt. The new ones have to integrate and veterans should help them,” Guardiola said after the second defeat of the season.
Lack of work, and that will be difficult to achieve now with the international break, which means that much of the squad will go to play with its national teams.
To top it off, on the return it will have a hard snowfall: first the city classic against Manchester United, then the crossing against the Huddersfield by Carabao Cup, followed by his debut in the Champions League against the last champion of Italy, the Napoli, and a high voltage duel against the arsenal by the Premier League.
