Brighton stuns City with two late goals to hand them a fourth defeat in a row
Pep Guardiola's side has now suffered four consecutive defeats, a rare occurrence in his illustrious managerial career.
Manchester City's struggles have deepened into a full-blown crisis after Brighton secured a remarkable 2-1 victory at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
City had looked in control after Erling Haaland's first-half strike gave them a 1-0 lead. However, Brighton turned the game on its head in the final minutes, thanks to late goals from Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley, both recently returning from injury.
Despite dominating early on and leading, City failed to capitalise on their chances. Brighton, having missed six big chances earlier, capitalised when Pedro latched onto a cross and slotted home in the 79th minute. Just minutes later, O'Riley, who had been a catalyst for the turnaround, received a precise ball from Pedro and hammered it into the net, leaving City with no response.
The result meant that Brighton not only handed City their fourth consecutive defeat but also moved into the top four, at least temporarily. Guardiola introduced Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva as City chased the game, but their efforts proved fruitless. De Bruyne, not fully fit, was unable to make the difference, and City's late chances – including a header from Josko Gvardiol and a shot from Silva – went wide.
This loss compounds City's ongoing struggles, and they now face a difficult path back to their best form. Brighton, on the other hand, were jubilant, celebrating a pivotal win that propelled them higher in the table.