Pep Guardiola appeared bewildered, as if he couldn't fathom what had just transpired. Amidst the wild celebrations of Brighton's players and fans following Matt O'Riley's winning goal, the Manchester City manager must have been grappling with an unfamiliar sensation in his managerial career. A fourth consecutive defeat, a first in his tenure, would have been particularly bitter to swallow given how comprehensively his side had dominated Brighton in the opening half. However, a remarkable comeback was ignited by João Pedro, who not only equalized Erling Haaland's opener but also set up substitute O'Riley just five minutes later.
This victory was especially poignant for O'Riley, who marked his Premier League debut after a challenging start to his Brighton career. In August, he was injured just nine minutes into his first appearance following his summer move from Celtic. O'Riley savored his moment, allowing the home fans to serenade the beleaguered City manager with chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning,' as Brighton edged closer to a memorable triumph.
Guardiola had vowed that his team would learn from their recent lapses against Sporting in midweek. He made a surprise move by retaining Jahmai Simpson-Pusey in an untested central defensive partnership with Josko Gvardiol. Kyle Walker also replaced Manuel Akanji, while Bernardo Silva was relegated to the bench after admitting that City had been 'in a dark place' following three consecutive defeats across all competitions. With this backdrop, Hürzeler saw his first encounter with the reigning Premier League champions as an opportunity for Brighton to challenge the status quo, fielding an attacking lineup spearheaded by in-form Danny Welbeck.
Despite the visitors' early dominance, it was the home side who seized control. The dangerous Savinho repeatedly exploited gaps behind Pervis Estupiñán. The Brazilian's blistering pace unsettled Brighton's defense, and Bart Verbruggen had to make a sprawling save to prevent him from scoring after another penetrating run into the box. Haaland was unusually off-target from a Phil Foden free-kick, merely clearing the ball away from danger. City seemed to be rediscovering their rhythm, and it appeared inevitable that they would score.
The breakthrough came after 23 minutes when Mateo Kovacic's deft touch created space in midfield, allowing him to deliver a perfect through ball for Haaland, who slammed home from close range after Verbruggen's initial save. The Brighton goalkeeper was fortunate that Haaland's subsequent effort, set up by Foden, struck his heel and rebounded off the post before Haaland headed over the resulting corner. Brighton's only threat had been a harmless shot from Kaoru Mitoma, and they struggled to cope as City enjoyed over 70% possession. A concerned Hürzeler watched as Kovacic forced Verbruggen into another save from distance, leaving Guardiola with his hands on his head.
Brighton might have been awarded a penalty when Gvardiol's hand blocked Welbeck's shot on the ground after Walker misjudged a bouncing ball, much to the delight of the home supporters. Welbeck was unimpressed and could only direct a free-kick wide of Ederson's post after Rico Lewis was cautioned for a reckless challenge. Carlos Baleba was introduced into Brighton's midfield at halftime in an attempt to counter City's dominance, and it seemed to pay off. Mitoma directed a soft header on target from Georgino Rutter's cross, and Jack Hinshelwood should have done better from Estupiñán's cross at the end of a fluid move initiated by Mitoma.
City suddenly looked vulnerable, but they responded by launching another attack. Haaland nearly set up Savinho if not for a desperate clearance from Estupiñán at the back post. Rutter's final involvement was to head over the crossbar from another dangerous ball into City's area as Hürzeler introduced the returning João Pedro and Brajan Gruda, shifting into an all-out attack mode. However, Pedro squandered his chance when he was played through and couldn't force Ederson into another save.
Kevin De Bruyne made his first appearance since mid-September as City sought to regain control, but Guardiola's anxiety only grew with each Brighton attack. His concerns were justified as they failed to clear Mitoma's cross, allowing Pedro to pounce on the loose ball and equalize. The quality of the winning goal was undeniable when a one-two between Welbeck and Pedro set up O'Riley to steal the show. Gvardiol came closest to salvaging a point for City in nine minutes of stoppage time, but there was no way back as Haaland was booked for clashing with Jan Paul van Hecke, leaving City to contemplate an unthinkable outcome.
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