“I advised Pep Guardiola about this specific player, but he ignored it and left him out of the starting lineup against Brighton… Guardiola is repeating the same errors now, and I’m warning him again,” stated Man City legend Sergio Agüero, who pointed out one player he believes should not be sitting on the bench.

Pep Guardiola faced his first-ever four-game losing streak as Manchester City suffered a defeat against Brighton.

Despite missing several key players, City initially took the lead when Mateo Kovacic intercepted a play, advanced into midfield, and perfectly set up Erling Haaland. Although Bart Verbruggen saved Haaland’s first attempt, he quickly scored on the rebound.

In the second half, Ederson made crucial saves to maintain City’s lead, including stopping Kaoru Mitoma. However, Brighton kept pressing, and Joao Pedro capitalized on a scramble in the box to equalize with 12 minutes left.

Brighton’s comeback was sealed when substitute Matt O’Riley broke through an open defense, handing City a fourth consecutive loss, their first such streak in 18 years.

Player Ratings:

Ederson: Commanded the area with his quick reflexes, including a brilliant close-range save. Helpless for the goals. 8

Rico Lewis: Played well moving forward but struggled defensively, particularly for Brighton’s goals. 5

Kyle Walker: Solid start but was caught out by Joao Pedro at one point, frustrating Guardiola. 5

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey: Showed composure on his Premier League debut, standing strong against Danny Welbeck. 6

Josko Gvardiol: Helped his teammates defensively but could have been better positioned for both Brighton goals. 5

Mateo Kovacic: Provided a key assist and strong first half, though City later struggled defensively through the middle. 6

Ilkay Gundogan: Played a crucial role, supporting Kovacic and adding pressure in attack. Subbed off while City still led. 7

Phil Foden: Quiet first half but more active after the break, especially in counter-attacks with Savinho. 6

Savinho: Dangerous on the right, unlucky not to score and constantly pressured Brighton’s defense. 7

Matheus Nunes: Adapted well on the left wing, slowing play down like Grealish and driving into the box. Moved back to midfield late on. 6

Erling Haaland: Found the net after being set up by Kovacic and showed better link-up play. 7

Substitute:

Kevin De Bruyne (73’): Worked to impact the game but couldn’t change the result. 6

Unused substitutes: Ortega, Ake, Akanji, O’Reilly, WrigIht, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand