Brighton vs Manchester City: 3 unwanted records Guardiola’s side set in defeat to Seagulls

Manchester City’s rough patch worsened after a 2-1 loss to Brighton, marking their fourth consecutive defeat, and setting multiple unwanted milestones.

Despite Erling Haaland’s early goal that seemed to set City up for a comfortable victory, the champi succumbed to a comeback by the Seagulls, with Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley securing the win for Brighton.

As Manchester City's poor run of form continues, this loss has set several uncharacteristic records for the reigning Premier League champions and their manager, Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City's loss at the Amex Stadium was not just a blow to their title defence, but also a rare reversal of fortunes.

Having led 1-0 at the break, The Cityzens ended up on the losing side—a scenario they had managed to avoid in the Premier League since May 2021, which also came against Brighton.

Despite Guardiola's dominance in England's top flight, Manchester City’s inability to hold onto a half-time lead against Brighton marks an unusual lapse for the league's reigning champions.

Haaland’s goal-scoring exploits are well documented, but even he could not stop the Cityzens from falling to defeat despite notching his 12th league goal of the season.

Before this defeat to Brighton, Haaland had never lost a Premier League game in which he found the net, winning 40 and drawing six of the 46 matches he scored in.

However, his opening strike against Brighton was not enough, marking the first time the Norwegian star has tasted defeat after scoring in a league match.

Manchester City manager Guardiola, more famous for his successes than failures, had never before suffered a four-game losing streak across all competitions until the game against Brighton completed a torrid recent run.

This unprecedented run—beginning with an EFL Cup exit to Tottenham, followed by a Premier League loss to Bournemouth, a European defeat to Sporting CP, and now a domestic setback against Brighton—has left fans and pundits alike in shock.

Manchester City also find themselves on their longest losing streak since August 2006, a time when Stuart Pearce was in charge and City were far from the football powerhouse they are today.