New season, same issues for Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s once-dominant team slipped to a second straight loss in the Premier League after collapsing to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton on Sunday.
After a 2-0 home loss to Tottenham last weekend, City is demonstrating the same vulnerabilities and brittleness it showed last season when surrendering the title to Liverpool after four consecutive years as champions.
“This is the reality — we are not at the level from a long time (ago),” said City midfielder Rodri, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner who was starting in the league for the first time since September last year following a serious knee injury.
Brajan Gruda surged through an open defense, rounded goalkeeper James Trafford and slotted into an empty net for the 89th-minute winner for Brighton, which trailed to Erling Haaland's first-half strike — his 88th goal in 100 Premier League appearances since moving to England in 2022.
City conceded an equalizer in the 67th minute after Matheus Nunes raised his arm in the area to block a shot, with James Milner converting the penalty for Brighton to become — at age 39 years and 239 days — the second-oldest scorer in Premier League history. He is also the second youngest, having netted as a 16-year-old for Leeds.
With City noticeably fading, Brighton created a succession of chances before Gruda converted one to seal a repeat of his team's come-from-behind 2-1 win over City last season.
City's only points so far this season have come from a 4-0 opening-round win at Wolverhampton, after which pundits were saying Guardiola's team was back. Now, it has fewer points than Manchester United.
West Ham eased the pressure on manager Graham Potter with a 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest, secured by late goals by Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta — from the penalty spot — and Callum Wilson.
West Ham lost its first two games in the league, conceding eight goals in the process, and also was eliminated from the English League Cup in midweek.
Paqueta, the Brazil midfielder, celebrated his successful penalty kick by pretending to answer a call, throw away a phone before kissing the badge on his jersey — perhaps a nod to being linked over the past 24 hours with a move to Aston Villa.
Later Sunday, Liverpool hosts Arsenal in a meeting of two likely title contenders, and Crystal Palace visits Villa.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
