Signs Guardiola Has Reached Saturation Point at Manchester City

BRIGHTON & HOVE, SUNDAY – Pep Guardiola's decision to extend his tenure at Manchester City last season seems to have backfired. The saturation point with Guardiola is increasingly evident in the performance of "The Citizens." Two consecutive defeats at the start of this season serve as a marker.

The main issue for City last season was their failure to maintain the intensity and consistency of their gameplay. Significant transfer activities involving four players for the main team, with a total expenditure of around 176 million euros (Rp 3 trillion), have yet to yield a significant impact.

The defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, followed by a 1-2 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at the American Express Stadium on Sunday (31/8/2025), indicates that City's best level of play has not yet returned. Taking the lead first through Erling Haaland in the 34th minute, The Citizens conceded two goals in the second half.

James Milner equalized the score on the scoreboard with a penalty execution in the 67th minute. Brighton's victory was achieved through the cleverness of substitute player, Brajan Gruda, after outsmarting two City players, namely James Trafford and Ruben Dias.

This is a disappointing result because we, Man City, came here to win. This is our reality. We are not at the level we should be.

The result means that City is still unable to enter the top 10 zone, sitting in 12th place. Meanwhile, Brighton has recorded its first positive result in the English Premier League this season. "The Seagulls," as Brighton is called, occupy 10th place.

"It's a disappointing result because we, Man City, came here to win. This is our reality. We weren't at the level we should be," Rodri told Sky Sports after the match.

"The only way we can recover is to improve ourselves. We made two big mistakes that led to the 1-2 scoreline," he continued.

Guardiola agreed with his star player. He also expressed concern about his team's inability to perform consistently throughout the 90 minutes.

"We had a good hour, but in the last 30 minutes, we were not good enough. That became our obstacle," said Guardiola as reported on the club's website.

During the match at Brighton's home ground, City managed to take only three shots on target. The last accurate shot from The Citizens was the goal scored by Haaland in the 34th minute.

After half-time, City's expected goals (xG) remained unchanged, with 1.84 xG allowed.

The creation of opportunities highlights the futility of the 64 percent possession and 103 passes made by City in the final defense of Brighton. The four substitutions made by Guardiola in the middle of the second half, bringing on Jeremy Doku, Nico O’Reilly, Rico Lewis, and Ruben Dias, were unable to enhance the quality of The Citizens' attack.

Conversely, Brighton was able to perform better after the break. Six accurate shots were produced by The Seagulls. They became the first team to generate six shots on target against City's defense in a single half since Manchester United in October 2022.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler stated that his team's victory demonstrates that football encompasses more than just tactical victory issues. In order to achieve success, he said, there are also other factors that must be exhibited by all players.

"Sometimes the game requires energy on the pitch. We showed that today, especially in the second half," Hurzeler was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Unlike Guardiola, who failed to make effective substitutions, Hurzeler demonstrated his astuteness in reading the game. The four substitutions made simultaneously in the 60th minute proved to be decisive for Brighton's victory.

Milner, Gruda, Georginio Rutter, and Yasin Ayari were able to fulfill the trust placed in them to change the game and ultimately determine the team's fate.

"We did not believe in ourselves before the substitutions. I decided to make four substitutions. It is always a decision that allows us to unleash that energy," said Hurzeler, the German-born tactician who was born in the United States.

"When we come into the game, we have to give 100 percent. We showed everyone the quality of this team," added Gruda. (AFP)