Pep Guardiola Admits Man City ‘Forgot to Play’ After Brighton Stunner
Manchester City’s early-season stumbles just got real. Pep Guardiola didn’t hold back after his side threw away a lead and slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton, saying his team literally “forgot to play.”
Yes, you read that right. City were cruising after Erling Haaland gave them the lead and everything seemed routine… until Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler rolled the dice with a quadruple substitution around the hour mark. Suddenly, James Milner, yes, at 39, stepped up from the spot to equalise just seven minutes later.
Guardiola couldn’t hide his frustration:
“We played brilliantly the first hour but conceded a goal and then forgot to continue playing. We decided to play long but we were not good enough. Sometimes the momentum changes the shapes. I used to be a player. I understand this.”
It’s rare territory for City. This was their second defeat of the season already, the first time they’ve lost two of their opening three league matches in 21 years.
Pep’s positives and setbacks
Before the late collapse, Pep actually liked what he saw:
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“I had the feeling we are more active compared to last season,” he said. “But last season we lost to Spurs and Brighton and this season it happened again. It’s difficult at the start of the season, but we have to find a way to win games.”
But the injury curse struck too. The City boss confirmed that new signing Rayan Cherki will be out for two months with a thigh injury.
Brighton’s late spark
Brajan Gruda then popped up with Brighton’s winner in the 89th minute. Guardiola admitted fatigue and a forced change didn’t help:
“At that moment, we were tired,” he said, adding that if Abdukodir Khusanov hadn’t gone off injured just minutes earlier, his pace might have prevented the decisive moment.
Rodri, making his first league start in almost a year, was equally blunt:
“We are missing the level. It is a matter of the team and the changes, new players have to adapt and, of course, when you change the team that much it is difficult. But some of the mistakes we are making are kids’ mistakes, not concentrating and paying attention. The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.”
Hürzeler’s gut feeling pays off
Meanwhile, Brighton’s young coach Hürzeler revealed he trusted his instincts with the changes:
“In some moments my body says something to me. Not just in football but generally in life you need to have the courage to take the decisions you want to if you feel they are the right thing to do. But with four subs you don’t change the game. You need 11 players who are changed by the subs, by their energy and belief.”
And on Milner’s impact, he was glowing with praise:
“He always has the belief no matter against whom you are playing, and if you have these believers in your crew, it’s like a positive virus that transports this to your teammates and the crowd. One has the spark and the spark becomes like a fire.”
From Haaland’s opener to Brighton’s late comeback, this one had everything: tactical gambles, veteran heroics, and Guardiola’s City looking very human.
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