Manchester City’s slow start to the new Premier League season continued on Sunday as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton, leaving them with just three points from their opening three games.
Softfootball reported that Erling Haaland, will be making his 100th Premier League appearance, and he looked to have set City on their way when he reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and tucked it home after 34 minutes. It was a reward for his persistence, having already been denied twice by Bart Verbruggen in the opening stages.
But Brighton, still chasing their first win of the season, refused to fade. They had chances of their own through Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh, before finally being handed a lifeline in the second half. Matheus Nunes was penalised for handball, and up stepped former City midfielder James Milner to send James Trafford the wrong way and level the scores. At 39, Milner also set a record as the oldest penalty scorer in Premier League history.
City pushed for a response but were increasingly rattled, and the hosts sensed their opportunity late on. With just a minute of normal time left, Brajan Gruda broke through, rounded Trafford and calmly rolled the ball into the net to spark wild celebrations on the south coast.
The Amex Stadium erupted after the final whistle, with Brighton posting a video of the scenes at the stadium at full-time on the team’s official X account.
Watch the video below
For Pep Guardiola, it’s a worrying repeat: another 2-1 defeat at the Amex, just as Brighton managed last season. For Fabian Hürzeler’s side, it’s a statement victory that lifts early-season pressure and underlines once more their growing reputation as a bogey team for City.
