For the first time in his coaching career, Pep Guardiola has faced an experience he’d never had before.
Three games in seven days, and all three ended in defeat—a deeply embarrassing run that Manchester City seemed on course to end with a strong start. But after halftime, they lost their way again. Brighton & Hove Albion dominated nearly the entire second half, claiming a memorable 2-1 victory.
The reigning champions lost 2-1 in Saturday’s Premier League match on Brighton’s home turf. Despite Erling Haaland’s opening goal, City conceded two in the second half.
In Guardiola’s long and storied career, he had never faced such a bitter experience as City’s head coach: a streak of four consecutive losses. Previously, City had only lost three games in a row under Guardiola’s leadership, back in 2018.
For the first time in 18 years, Manchester City has lost four consecutive matches across all competitions. The last time City endured such a streak was under Stuart Pearce.
The slump began on October 30, when City exited the League Cup after a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. In the six days that followed, they lost 2-1 to Bournemouth in the Premier League and 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.
At the end of a disastrous week, City’s comeback efforts started sluggishly. They dominated possession from the outset, but their attack lacked edge.
After two unsuccessful attempts, City finally broke through in the 23rd minute. Mateo Kovacic threaded a pass between two defenders, and Haaland’s shot, though slowed by the goalkeeper, couldn’t be stopped. The ball headed toward the goal, and a defender dashed in to clear it, but Haaland pounced, scoring in his second attempt.
This was Haaland’s fourth goal in as many meetings with Brighton in the Premier League, bringing his season total to 12.
Just three minutes later, City almost doubled their lead. However, the Brighton goalkeeper thwarted Haaland’s angled shot off a Phil Foden pass, sending it out for a corner.
Brighton started applying pressure in the minutes leading up to halftime, and it only intensified at the beginning of the second half. In the 52nd minute, they had their best chance to equalize, but Ederson leaped to block a powerful header from Jack Hinshelwood.
City gradually lost their rhythm as Brighton grew more aggressive.
In the 67th minute, Danny Welbeck had a golden chance in the six-yard box but couldn’t get his shot off. Moments later, Ederson stopped shots from Mitoma and substitute Pedro in quick succession.
After missing several chances, Brighton finally equalized in the 78th minute. A delayed shot from Welbeck led to a scramble in the box, and Brazilian forward Pedro calmly slotted in a low shot to make it 1-1.
Just five minutes later, another substitute, Danish midfielder Matt O’Riley, scored the winner. He controlled a pass inside the box, then beat the advancing goalkeeper with a left-footed strike.
In the last 27 minutes of regular time, City couldn’t register a single shot on goal. They managed two desperate attempts in added time, but neither found the net.
After this defeat, City sits in second place with 23 points from 11 matches, including seven wins and two draws. Brighton has climbed to fourth with 19 points.
