Manchester City are not having the best start to the 2025/26 season, and this was not more glaring than it was during their 2 – 1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in week 3.
The Cityzens have now won one match and lost two from their first three matches of the season, marking one of their worst starts to a league season under Pep Guardiola. They were victims of Brighton this time, with Fabian Hürzeler’s side defeating them at the AMEX thanks to a winning penalty from former Manchester City man James Milner.
Guardiola, who will be welcoming Gianluigi Donnarumma this week in place of the departing Ederson, watched as his team struggled to put any meaningful attack together. In the end, they were forced to go for the international break with only three points from a possible nine.
Speaking on the circumstances of the loss, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager said: “We forgot to play [after the penalty]. We decided to play direct, fine, but you have to be ready – be there.
“We were not ready to win the second [balls] when they happened. The momentum always happens in the Premier League, a goal can do that, but we forgot to play.
“We played brilliantly for the first hour. We created a lot against a tough opponent. But after the goal, it was like Spurs – we play really good in the beginning, we concede a goal and then we are a little bit more unstable. We forget to continue playing. You can never stop to play.”
Many journalists and fans have started to question Guardiola and his methods, with some even touting his possible exit from the club just three games into the new season. Guardiola’s compatriot and the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, called for calm among all fans and among his teammates.
“It’s disappointing because we’re Man City and we come here to win. But this is the reality, we are not at the level for a long, long time,” the former Atlético de Madrid man declared.
“The only way to come back is to look at ourselves. That’s the reality.
“I think we started well but in the second half we dropped a little bit, and here at their home with the pressure and two big mistakes from us and then 2-1.
“We’re missing the level, I don’t know, call it what you want. It’s a matter of the team, changes, new players have to adapt and when you change the team that much it is difficult. This is our reality, it’s not excuses.”
“We have to look to ourselves and see that this is not the way to achieve things. Let’s go to the international break, clean our minds and come back stronger.”
