Man City Player Ratings vs Brighton: Haaland Scores but Guardiola Faces Familiar Problems in Costly Defeat
Another Premier League setback leaves Pep Guardiola searching for answers as Brighton stun Manchester City with a late winner at the Amex.
Manchester City’s tough start to the new Premier League campaign continued on Sunday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Brighton, marking their second consecutive league loss.
Erling Haaland, making his 100th Premier League appearance, gave City the lead, but once again, Pep Guardiola’s men faltered in the closing stages. Despite dominating large spells of the game, the champions collapsed under late Brighton pressure—raising serious questions about City’s rhythm, adaptability, and defensive frailties.
Story of the Match
The game began with City in control. Haaland had a golden chance early on after Omar Marmoush slid him through, but the striker fired tamely at Bart Verbruggen. Moments later, James Trafford was called into action at the other end, denying Kaoru Mitoma with a sharp save.
Haaland eventually found the breakthrough, reacting quickest after his initial header was parried to slot home from close range—his 91st Premier League goal in 100 appearances.
For over an hour, City looked comfortable, but Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler’s bold quadruple substitution flipped the game. Almost instantly, Brighton were awarded a penalty after Matheus Nunes handled in the box. Veteran James Milner calmly converted, sending Trafford the wrong way.
From there, the Seagulls smelled blood. Trafford produced a heroic save to deny Jan Paul van Hecke, but he was powerless in the 89th minute when Brajan Gruda smashed home the winner, exposing City’s fragile backline.
Manchester City Player Ratings
Goalkeeper & Defence
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James Trafford (7/10) – Confident with the ball, sharp saves throughout, and heroic against Van Hecke. Left with no chance on either goal.
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Matheus Nunes (6/10) – Steady as an emergency right-back and unlucky with the handball call.
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John Stones (5/10) – Struggled with Mitoma’s runs and was partly at fault in the build-up to Brighton’s winner.
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Abdukodir Khusanov (6/10) – Strong for much of the match but targeted after his booking.
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Rayan Aït-Nouri (4/10) – Careless in possession and second-best against Minteh.
Midfield
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Rodri (8/10) – Calm, composed, and a reminder of his importance. Still regaining sharpness but bossed midfield.
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Bernardo Silva (6/10) – Energetic pressing but quiet in attack.
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Tijjani Reijnders (6/10) – Grew into the game after a shaky start under Brighton’s press.
Attack
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Oscar Bobb (7/10) – Positive runs and creativity, played a role in Haaland’s opener.
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Erling Haaland (6/10) – Took his goal well but guilty of wastefulness early on. Drifted out of the match late.
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Omar Marmoush (7/10) – Dangerous in possession, clever assist for Haaland’s goal.
Substitutes & Manager
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Nico O’Reilly (5/10) – Couldn’t stem Brighton’s momentum.
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Jeremy Doku (5/10) – Ineffective after coming on.
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Rico Lewis (N/A) – Limited impact in 10 minutes.
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Ruben Dias (N/A) – Beaten in the buildup to Gruda’s late strike.
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Pep Guardiola (5/10) – His team looked strong for an hour but failed to adapt after Hürzeler’s decisive changes.
Summary
Manchester City looked set to bounce back from last week’s setback, but their late collapse at the Amex raises familiar concerns. Missed chances, defensive lapses, and a lack of tactical response once again cost Guardiola’s side, despite Haaland’s milestone goal and Rodri’s return.
With back-to-back defeats, City find themselves under early pressure in the Premier League race. For Guardiola, the message is clear: improvements are needed fast, both in resilience and creativity, if the champions are to avoid slipping further behind.
🔥 What’s Next?
Can Guardiola fix City’s fragility before it derails their season? Fans will expect a strong response in their next fixture. Stay tuned as the champions look to prove this is just a blip, not a crisis.
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