Manchester City lost 1-2 to Brighton after being overwhelmed by their high-press tactics, dropping below Manchester United in the standings; Guardiola should be dismissed.

At 9 PM Beijing time on August 31, the third round of the Premier League saw Brighton face Manchester City at home.

In the first half, Haaland missed a clear chance but then scored with an assist from Målmoush, giving City a 1-0 lead at halftime; in the second half, Brighton’s intense pressing pinned City back, Nunes’s handball in the box led to a penalty converted by 39-year-old Milner who scored his first Premier League goal in six years, and Gruda netted the decisive goal.

In the end, Manchester City suffered a 1-2 away defeat to Brighton, marking their second consecutive loss in the Premier League, with 3 points from 3 games, trailing Manchester United’s 4 points.

For Brighton vs. Manchester City, Helzer lined up a 4-2-3-1 formation with a starting lineup valued at €241 million;Guardiola deployed a 4-3-3 formation with Haaland as the striker, flanked by Målmoush and Bob on the wings, Reijnders, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva forming the midfield trio, Nuri, Husanov, Stones, and Nunes as the back four, and Trafford in goal, with a starting lineup worth €640 million..

In this match, despite taking the lead early, Manchester City was crushed by Brighton’s high-pressing strategy, which is entirely Guardiola’s responsibility. City dominated possession in the first half, Haaland’s one-on-one chance turned into a poor pass missing a great opportunity; although he scored on the rebound, Haaland’s lack of ability to hold up the ball or win aerial duels was glaringly exposed. Another Norwegian forward, Bob, also missed a brilliant pass from Målmoush. Frankly, Bob isn’t capable of being a starter for a top Premier League team, but Guardiola’s selection decisions are baffling. Despite heavy spending in the winter and summer transfer windows, the right-back position is still filled by Nunes as a makeshift player.

Manchester City led 1-0 in the first half, which should have been an ideal scenario for a possession-based team forcing the opponent to push forward. However, Brighton applied high pressing in the second half, and City’s defense completely lost the ability to play out from the back, forcing Trafford to clear long balls repeatedly. Haaland’s inability to hold up play or win headers resulted in City being relentlessly attacked by Brighton, who had six shots on target in the second half alone, leading to two goals conceded and a comeback defeat. City suffered back-to-back losses. Rodri returned in good form, but Guardiola was outmaneuvered by Brighton’s pressing tactics. Since his divorce, Guardiola has completely lost control of Manchester City. Despite multiple transfer windows of heavy investment, the problem lies with the coach. City now has one point less than Manchester United under Amroli’s management. Guardiola is helpless and should be replaced; Manchester City needs a new manager.

Match statistics prove that Manchester City’s defeat was deserved, and Guardiola has clearly run out of ideas.Although Manchester City held 64% possession, both teams had 12 shots each, but City only managed 3 on target while Brighton had 7.In the second half, City had zero shots on target and were thoroughly outplayed and reversed by Brighton’s high-press. Guardiola discarded Grealish, who has been delivering assists and goals for Everton in the Premier League. Without Alvarez and De Bruyne, City’s attack lacked creativity, and Guardiola’s inability to manage a center forward is evident, especially since Haaland is not a striker who can hold up the ball or win headers. In summary, Guardiola should be sacked; his pressure is even greater than Amroli’s.