Manchester City’s turbulent run continued on Saturday with a shocking 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, marking the team’s fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions—a first for manager Pep Guardiola.
Despite Erling Haaland’s early strike in the 23rd minute, City was unable to hold off a resurgent Brighton, who capitalized on second-half chances with goals from substitutes Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley. Haaland’s goal, his 12th of the season, briefly had City in control after Mateo Kovacic’s well-placed pass found him between Brighton’s center backs, allowing the Norwegian to finish after a rebound.
City, who sit second in the Premier League standings with 23 points, failed to extend their lead, creating an opportunity for Brighton to climb to fourth with 19 points.
Brighton came alive in the second half, seizing their chance in the 78th minute when City’s defense couldn’t clear a loose ball, allowing Pedro to slam it past goalkeeper Ederson. "Last season, we missed a lot of points, but this time we’ve believed more in ourselves and have taken on big teams well,” Pedro said after the match.
O’Riley’s decisive goal followed just five minutes later as he slotted in Pedro’s through-ball past Ederson, clinching a memorable debut for the Premier League newcomer.
Guardiola, who struggled to field a fully fit team with several key players—including Nathan Ake, John Stones, Jack Grealish, and Ruben Dias—out due to injuries, could only watch as City’s first-half missed chances proved costly. Haaland had two near-miss attempts, one saved at close range by Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen, while another header narrowly missed the target.
Although City dominated possession with 60.5%, Brighton’s pressing efforts and disciplined defense set up a hard-earned victory. Early in the second half, Jack Hinshelwood’s header forced Ederson into an agile save, a precursor to Brighton’s eventual breakthrough.
This latest loss adds to a dismal run for City, who were recently knocked out of the League Cup by Tottenham and endured defeats to Bournemouth in the league and Sporting in the Champions League. City midfielder Bernardo Silva described the team’s mood as being in a “dark place.”
As City look to rally from their unprecedented losing streak, Guardiola will be hoping his injury-hit squad finds form quickly to prevent further slip-ups in their pursuit of another Premier League title.
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