Guardiola concedes Manchester City has trouble adapting after the second consecutive defeat
Pep Guardiola conceded that Manchester City has trouble adapting to changes to their team after seeing his team succumb to a second half return to Brighton and Hove Albion.
Having been beaten 2-0 at home by Tottenham last week, City seemed ready to bounce back when Erling Haaland highlighted them in the 34th minute.
Haaland scored his 100th appearance in the Premier League with his 88th goal in the division, but City could not add in their advance despite the dictation game.
And they were punished in the 67th minute when James Milner equalized the penalty place against his former club after Matheus Nunes was tried in the region.
City has never regained control from there, and they were sentenced to a second successive defeat a minute from the end of normal time when Brajan Gruda rounded James Trafford and brought the winner of Brighton.
Several additions were made to the city team in the transfer window, with Trafford, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders in the departure XI in Brighton. Rayan Cherki was not included in the team.
And Guardiola suggested that his team still had trouble gelling while they are heading for the international break with only three points of nine games.
“We concede the goal and after that, he changed,” Guardiola told Sky Sports after the 2-1 defeat.
“Until then, it was really, really good, we were likely and the team looked aggressive and dynamic. We did a good hour and then after the last half hour, we were not good. We forgot to pass the ball, we just played long balls and we were not good enough. That’s what it is.
“Erling is our big threat, but in general, we have done a good hour and after conceding the goal, a bit like Tottenham, we concede and wherever we continue to do what we have to do.
“We have a very good team and of course, we have changed a lot the past for now, which is normal, we need new players to adapt and we need older to help them cope.”
Guardiola impressed Rodri’s return
Rodri made his first departure in 11 months for City after the serious knee injury he suffered last September.
Guardiola was satisfied with the screen produced by the Golden Ball winner last year, and hopes that the clarity provided at the end of the transfer window, which stops for the Premier League on Monday, will help his team to improve in the coming weeks.
“Rodri played a very good performance and he is a leading character,” added Guardiola. “Happy he played 90 minutes and I would say he could manage his minutes in the national team and after starting the season.
“I like a lot of things we do and when we come back, we know the team we are going to have and we will try to compete.”
