Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s esteemed manager, was left visibly frustrated as his team succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion, citing his players’ failure to perform the fundamental act of passing the ball as a critical factor in their loss.
Despite taking the lead through a goal from Erling Haaland, City fell apart after Brighton made strategic substitutions, with James Milner levelling from the penalty spot after Matheus Nunes handled the ball and Brajan Gruda securing the winner with a stunning shot in the match’s dying moments.
Guardiola expressed his concerns to Sky Sports, lamenting how the game changed after conceding: “We concede the goal and after that it shifted. Until then it was really, really good; we had chances and the team looked aggressive and dynamic. We made a good hour and then after the last half an hour we were not good. We forgot to pass the ball, just played long balls and we were not good enough. It is what it is.”
He further elaborated on his team’s struggles after conceding, comparing the scenario to their previous setback against Tottenham Hotspur: “Erling is our big threat but in general we made a good hour and after we concede the goal, a bit like Tottenham, we concede and everywhere we don’t continue to do what we need to do.”
Not shying away from acknowledging individual performances, Guardiola lauded Rodri’s efforts: “Rodri played a really good performance and he is a top character. Happy he played 90 minutes…”
Meanwhile, Brighton’s head coach Fabian Hurzeler credited the victory to “energy, intensity, and togetherness,” rather than elaborate tactics. He noted, “It’s about energy, intensity and togetherness on the pitch. The substitutes came in and made the difference. You always can spread energy and it gives your teammates and the whole crowd energy and that is very important in football.”
Despite the early setbacks in the season, Guardiola remains optimistic, stressing that there’s a “long, long season ahead of us,” while Brighton revel in their deserved triumph, demonstrating resilience and ambition beyond their current league position.
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