Pep Guardiola faced an unprecedented setback in his managerial career as Manchester City endured a fourth straight loss, this time against Brighton.
Despite City’s bright start and early lead, they ultimately fell short at the Amex Stadium.
The match began with City showing promise, as Mateo Kovacic intercepted a Brighton attack and quickly surged forward into midfield.
Spotting Erling Haaland in space, Kovacic played an incisive pass that set up the forward for a close-range attempt.
Although Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen managed to block Haaland’s first effort, the Norwegian striker reacted swiftly, sending the rebound decisively into the top of the net.
City maintained their lead as Ederson made critical interventions to keep Brighton at bay.
Early in the second half, he made a vital save to preserve City’s advantage and showed quick decision-making by racing off his line to block Kaoru Mitoma.
Brighton kept applying pressure, however, creating several close calls before finally capitalizing.
Joao Pedro missed a promising chance but made up for it in the 78th minute, firing the equalizer home from a scramble inside the box.
City continued to battle, but Brighton’s momentum shifted the tide. Substitute Matt O’Riley found a gap in the defense and converted a chance to seal the match.
With O’Riley’s late goal, Brighton claimed victory, sending City to an unwanted four-match losing streak — the club’s longest in 18 years and Guardiola’s first.
The following are City’s player ratings at the Amex:
Ederson: The goalkeeper made several impressive saves, including a critical block against Mitoma. He had little chance to prevent either goal.
Rating: 8
Rico Lewis: Although comfortable in midfield, he was caught out defensively, with room for improvement in his positioning on both Brighton goals.
Rating: 5
Kyle Walker: Began the game well but allowed Pedro past him, nearly resulting in a Brighton goal.
Rating: 5
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey: Showed poise and calmness during his Premier League debut. He grew more comfortable as the game progressed, even though the result didn’t go City’s way.
Rating: 6
Josko Gvardiol: Played in a less-familiar role in central defense, where he assisted Simpson-Pusey but faced scrutiny for his role in Brighton’s goals.
Rating: 5
Mateo Kovacic: Displayed some of his best form recently, especially with his assist for Haaland. However, City’s defensive midfield vulnerabilities were still evident.
Rating: 6
Ilkay Gundogan: Demonstrated his class with effective link-up play alongside Kovacic, driving City’s forward play. He was substituted while City still held the lead.
Rating: 7
Phil Foden: Had a subdued first half but was more involved after the interval, especially on the counterattack with Savinho.
Rating: 6
Savinho: Consistently threatened Brighton’s defense, showing impressive pace and coming close to scoring himself.
Rating: 7
Matheus Nunes: Fit comfortably on the left flank, showing attacking drive and confidence similar to that of Grealish and Foden.
Rating: 6
Erling Haaland: Displayed sharp finishing instincts when he latched onto Kovacic’s pass and notched his 75th Premier League goal. His teamwork showed improvement as well.
Rating: 7
Substitute:
Bernardo Silva (on at 71): Provided energy and focus on the wing after coming on.
Rating: 6
Guardiola’s team, though demonstrating quality in patches, was ultimately undone by Brighton’s persistence and City’s occasional defensive lapses, marking a rough patch that Guardiola will look to reverse as soon as possible.
