Manchester City Suffers Second Consecutive Premier League Defeat at Brighton

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged his team's failure to maintain control in the second half during their 2-1 Premier League defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, marking their second consecutive loss after a defeat to Tottenham. City led through Erling Haaland's goal in the first half but lost momentum after conceding a penalty equalizer by James Milner and a late winner by Brajan Gruda following Brighton's tactical quadruple substitution. Guardiola criticized his players for 'forgetting to pass the ball' and resorting to long balls, which disrupted their rhythm and contributed to their collapse. He highlighted that while the squad has changed significantly with new players needing to adapt, the experienced players must assist in this transition. Guardiola remains optimistic about the season ahead, emphasizing that it is still early and there is time to rectify the team's form. The defeat leaves City with just three points from their first nine league matches as they prepare for upcoming fixtures against Manchester United and Arsenal.