Guardiola concedes Manchester City fell short in Brighton defeat

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has conceded that his team was not “good enough” in their 2-1 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

The defeat, which followed an earlier setback, marks back-to-back losses for the former Premier League champions this season.

City had taken the lead in the second half through Erling Haaland, but Brighton responded strongly, with late goals from James Milner and Brajan Gruda securing victory for the hosts.

Reflecting on the result, Guardiola told Sky Sports: “We had a good hour, but in the last half an hour we were not good. We were not good enough, but it is what it is.”

The manager attributed part of the struggles to the ongoing integration of new players into the squad, noting that adaptation takes time. “We have a really good squad and of course we changed many things, but it’s normal. New players need time to adapt,” he said.

Despite the defeat, Guardiola expressed satisfaction with some aspects of his team’s play and remained optimistic about their progress. “I like many things we are doing. When we come back, we will know the real squad we have,” he added.

He also singled out midfielder Rodri for praise, commending his ability to complete a full match. “Those are fantastic players. I am happy he (Rodri) could play 90 minutes. Hopefully, he can manage his minutes well during the international break.”