Manchester City 1 Brighton 2: Match report from the Amex Stadium as City are run off their feet | OneFootball

Manchester City 1 (Erling Haaland 34′)

Brighton 2 (James Milner (P) 67′, Brajan Gruda 89′)

Manchester City have lost 2-1 against Brighton at the Amex Stadium today. The defeat is Manchester City’s second consecutive defeat in the Premier League and leaves plenty to ponder over the international break.

Pep Guardiola’s side entered today’s match with several key players out due to injury. Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Savinho, Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol and Marcus Bettinelli all missed today’s match due to injury. When the starting lineups were announced the big inclusion was Rodri. Manchester City’s midfield general was named to start his first Premier League match for 11 months. On paper, the Manchester City lineup looked to have good balance and strength in midfield. They’d need all of that to prosper against a Brighton side who took four points from them last season.

First half.

The game kicked off with Manchester City looking cool and composed in possession in the game’s opening stages. There was a crispness to City’s possession play in the opening four minutes. Rodri had several quality touches, but the game’s momentum was halted when Brighton midfielder Diego Gomez went down with an ankle injury in the 5th minute. Tijjani Reijnders caught Gomez after the Dutch international played a pass in midfield. The contact was incidental, and the game resumed two minutes later after Diego Gomez received treatment on the pitch.

Manchester City’s first chance of the game came in the 9th minute. Omar Marmoush played Erling Haaland through on goal from midfield. Unfortunately for City, Erling Haaland’s tame shot was fired straight into the arms of Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.

James Trafford makes a great save to deny Brighton taking the lead.

After a quiet 10 minutes, it would be Brighton who would have the game’s next opportunity. Rayan Ait-Nouri was dispossessed by Yankuba Minteh on Manchester City’s left wing. Minteh sparked a quick counterattack for Brighton, which saw Kaoru Mitoma played through. But his shot was well saved by James Trafford down to his right to prevent Brighton from taking the lead. Brighton’s counterattack saw them breach Manchester City’s offside trap with ease in a warning to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Erling Haaland would drag a shot wide in the 23rd minute after a sweeping Manchester City attack. Haaland was set up by Reijnders after a driving run from Oscar Bobb. But his shot was dragged wide. A minute later, Erling Haaland saw a powerful header saved by Bart Verbruggen after a quality cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri from the left.

Erling Haaland gives Manchester City the lead!!!!

Manchester City would take the lead in the 34th minute. A sustained spell of pressure from Pep Guardiola’s side saw them pin Brighton in their own area. Oscar Bobb picked out Omar Marmoush on the edge of Brighton’s area. The Egyptian international made a driving run into the Brighton box, and after being challenged by the Brighton defence, the ball spilt to Haaland, who chipped the ball over the advancing Bart Verbruggen to give Pep Guardiola’s side the lead. City deserved their lead, and Brighton paid the price for allowing Haaland to have so many chances.

Following Erling Haaland’s goal, the remainder of the first half played out without incident. That was until the final minute of first-half stoppage time. Yankuba Minteh got in past Rayan Ait-Nouri on the right wing. Minteh played in a dangerous ball across the Manchester City penalty area to end the first half. Minteh took a boot to the head from Ait-Nouri for his troubles. That would be the final incident of the first half.

Pep Guardiola’s side had played well in the first half, but the threat of Brighton was there to see, especially on the break. But Manchester City did well to restrict Brighton to only one shot on target for the entire first half. There was also a crispness to Manchester City’s possession play, and their pressing was also on point.

Second half.

The first ten minutes of the second half passed by without any major incident of note. Manchester City once again were composed in possession. Brighton had one dangerous set piece in the opening ten minutes of the second half. There was a good tempo to the game, but no chances or incidents of note occurred.

On the hour mark, Oscar Bobb squirmed a shot wide after a quality ball was put in by the lively Omar Marmoush from the left wing. Manchester City were beginning to put their foot down in a bid to make it 2-nil.

James Trafford again makes a strong save to preserve Manchester City’s lead.

Brighton would have their second good chance of the game in the 61st minute. A lightning-quick counterattack from the hosts saw Kaoru Mitoma play in Yankuba Minteh. Minteh produced a stinging shot when clean through on goal, which was well saved by James Trafford behind for a corner. After a sustained spell of City pressure, the hosts reminded everyone of the threat they possessed going forward.

Brighton equalise from the penalty spot after Matheus Nunes handled the ball in his own area.

Brighton would draw level in the 67th minute through James Milner from the penalty spot. The hosts were awarded a penalty after Matheus Nunes handled a Lewis Dunk cutback from a free kick. Milner easily beat James Trafford from the spot to make it 1-all with just over 20 minutes to play. It must be said that Fabian Hurzeler’s side was upping the ante.

Yankuba Minteh fired a shot just wide in the 71st minute. He powered into the box and let fly with a powerful left-footed shot. It went just wide of James Trafford’s far post in another warning shot to Pep Guardiola’s side.

James Trafford made a comfortable save to deny a left-footed strike from range from Brajan Gruda in the 83rd minute. As the game entered the final 10 minutes, the hosts looked like they had more legs than Pep Guardiola’s side.

It was James Trafford who was once again Manchester City’s hero in the 88th minute. Jan Paul van Hecke met Lewis Dunk’s knockdown from a corner with a looping volley, and Trafford made a stunning save to keep the score at 1-all. Unfortunately for James Trafford, Brighton would take the lead one minute later.

Brajan Gruda gives Brighton the lead in the 89th minute.

Brighton would take the lead a minute later. John Stones poor clearance set Brighton free on the break. Brighton’s cause was aided by Ruben Dias who played every Brighton attacker onside through his poor positioning. Kaoru Mitoma played in Brajan Gruda, who rounded James Trafford and Rayan Ait-Nouri to tap into an empty net to give the hosts a well-deserved lead. Four substitutions made by Fabian Hurzeler had swung the game, and Pep Guardiola’s side were wilting under sustained Brighton pressure.

Manchester City wouldn’t carve out a meaningful chance in the seven minutes of second-half stoppage time. The final whistle was met with raucous cheers from the Brighton fans. The hosts did deserve their victory based on their second half performance.

Final thoughts.

It was going all so well for Manchester City for the game’s opening hour. But a quartet of substitutions from Fabian Hurzeler changed the game. Brighton had the legs to finish the game full of running and Pep Guardiola’s side looked to run out of legs. Manchester City enter the international break on the back of consecutive defeats and have plenty to work on to improve.