Pep Guardiola misplaced a fourth straight match for the primary time in his managerial profession Saturday after Manchester Metropolis fell 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Defeats to Tottenham Hotspur (League Cup), Bournemouth (Premier League), and Sporting CP (Champions League) led to forecasts of a destabilizing disaster on the reigning English champions. These predictions could ring true after quickfire second-half objectives from Seagulls substitutes Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley condemned Metropolis to one more loss.
Erling Haaland put the guests forward halfway by means of the opening interval. It was a deserved lead till after the break when Brighton regularly elevated the strain on Ederson’s objective and it was lastly breached within the 78th and 83rd minutes.
1 – Pep Guardiola has misplaced 4 video games in a row in all competitions for the very first time in his managerial profession, whereas Manchester Metropolis have misplaced 4 straight video games for the primary time since August 2006, when Stuart Pearce was supervisor of the membership. Unthinkable. pic.twitter.com/yAnz6ct8dn
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 9, 2024
Guardiola could gesture towards accidents to clarify his staff’s dour run. Rodri, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Jack Grealish, and long-term absentee Oscar Bobb had been all unavailable for the journey to the south coast. Nonetheless, his aspect had no photographs on the right track within the second half regardless of boasting Haaland up entrance, Phil Foden in midfield, and different stars together with Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, who had been launched off the bench when Metropolis held a one-goal benefit.
Mateo Kovacic’s completely weighted cross arrange Haaland’s opener however he and fan favourite Ilkay Gundogan are among the many notable gamers who’ve did not make amends for the absence of 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. Because the begin of the final Premier League marketing campaign, Manchester Metropolis have misplaced 5 matches – and Rodri did not characteristic in any of these video games.
Pedro’s scrappy close-range end after some determined Metropolis defending and O’Riley’s well-taken objective additionally dealt Guardiola with the unfamiliar sensation of tasting a Premier League defeat after main at halftime. The final time it occurred was one other fixture at Brighton in Might 2021, though Metropolis had already clinched the top-flight title by that date.
1 – Erling Haaland has misplaced a Premier League match during which he scored a objective for the very first time, having received 40 and drawn six of the earlier 46 he’d scored in earlier than in the present day. Humbled. pic.twitter.com/o6fBiyew4J
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 9, 2024
“Final season we dropped too many factors and the gaffer advised us to consider in ourselves this season,” Brighton’s Pedro advised Sky Sports activities post-match, in accordance with BBC Sport, “and we’re doing properly this season towards the large groups.”
Brighton are actually fourth within the Premier League desk, 4 factors behind second-place Manchester Metropolis.
Liverpool plumped up a five-point cushion in prime spot with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in Saturday’s late kickoff.
