Deja Vu: Pep’s nightmare against Hurzeler!

Before today’s game with Brighton, Ballon d’Or winner Rodri had a great record when starting for Manchester City – 49 games his team was unbeaten in the Premier League. But today his 50th was the crucial one, and even thou his colleague Erling Haaland scored the first goal of the game (his 100th in the league), and even thou Rodri played good, it was not good enough against The Seagulls. Or should we say, whatever Pep Guardiola prepared for his counterpart Fabian Hurzeler didn’t work. The Spaniard, one of the best managers in the world surprisingly left the field winless in all three of his Premier League meetings with Brighton boss. Hurzeler was only 15 years of age when Guardiola managed his first match with Barcelona in 2008, but he somehow managed to guide his team to the same win as last year – 0-1 halftime, 2-1 the final score.

It was a game of two halves really, the first in which City dominated and scored one, and the second in which Manchester players just vanished and Brighton staged another turnover. Before the game Guardiola said “I think we will have a good season”, but after his second defeat in the row (the Citizens lost at home to Spurs 2-0), the Spaniard will have a lot of work to do during the upcoming international break. Many expensive players have been bought in in January and July, and the results are one win and two defeats already. What's worse, the game was won by Brighton's substitutions which scored both goals, while Pep's didn't make any difference whatsoever. It also has to be said that VAR room didn’t even reacted in two occasions which referee England missed, and both situations should have been in Brighton’s favor. Reijnders kicked Gomez’s ankle with his open foot in the fifth minute (player needed treatment) while Al Nouri kicked Minteh in the head near the end of the first half, but neither player got even a yellow card. Stunning.

In terms of possession and chances created, City were clearly a better team in the first 45 minutes. Haaland had two good chances (in the 8th and 25th minute) but the third time he scored. Marmoush did all the work for him and he just jumped in ahead of him and calmly scored his 100th goal in the Premier League. Brighton had only one good opportunity when Mitoma had a superb shot saved brilliantly by Trafford in the 18th minute. But everything changed in the second half. Either it was because City just stopped playing football or it was because Brighton finally decided to push forward and started to attack, but the Seagulls had a great chance in the 62nd minute, when Mitoma fed Minteh, but Trafford was there again. Bob was too short and missed an opportunity to put the ball into an empty net in the 60th minute, and that’s all we saw from the Citizens from that moment on.

Just like James Trafford was among the guilty ones for Manchester’s loss to Tottenham last like, he was the savior now, with no less that four excellent saves in this game (he had two more in the 83rd and 88th minute) but he capitulated when his colleague Matheus Nunes handballed in the 67th minute, allowing Milner to equalize. But even then the Citizens didn’t do anything and the punishment came in the 89th minute when another substitute Brajan Gruda scored the unexpected winner.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 3

Saturday

Chelsea - Fulham 2-0 (1-0)

/Joao Pedro 45+9, Fernandez 56 pen/

Man. United - Burnley 3-2 (1-0)

/Cullen 27 (og), Mbeumo 57, Bruno 90+7 pen - Foster 55, Anthony 66/

Sunderland - Brentford 2-1 (0-0)

/Le Fee 82 pen, Isidor 90+6 - Thiago 77/

Tottenham - Bournemouth 0-1 (0-1)

/Evanilson 5/

Wolverhampton - Everton 2-3 (1-2)

/Hwang 21, Gomes 79 - Beto 7, Ndiaye 33, Dewsbury-Hall 55/

Leeds - Newcastle 0-0

Sunday

Brighton - Man.City 2-1 (0-1)

/Milner 67(p), Gruda 89 - Haaland 34/

Nott.Forest - West Ham 0-3 (0-0)

/Bowen 84, Paqueta 88(p) Wilson 90+1/

18.30: (2.20) Liverpool (3.45) Arsenal (3.25)

21.00: (1.95) Aston Villa (3.50) Crystal Palace (3.90)

***odds are subject to change***