Manchester City went into the September international break on the back of a surprise 2-1 defeat at the Amex Stadium, their second straight Premier League loss. Brighton & Hove Albion\u2019s second-half substitutes altered the contest and goals from James Milner and Brajan Gruda completed a dramatic turnaround.<\/p>\n
Defensive fragility returned
\nCity\u2019s defensive problems, exposed again against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, resurfaced at Brighton. Pep Guardiola selected a much-changed backline at the Amex, and what began as an untroubled hour for the visitors collapsed when Brighton injected urgency. The hosts managed 11 shots, three big chances and 2.25 expected goals in the second period. Abdukodir Khusanov and John Stones were unconvincing under pressure, Matheus Nunes needlessly raised his arms inside the penalty area to gift Brighton their equaliser and Rayan A\u00eft-Nouri lost more duels (10) than any other player on the pitch. The high line was repeatedly breached and the back four imploded as soon as the Seagulls found width.<\/p>\n
Haaland\u2019s milestone and role
\nSunday marked Haaland\u2019s 100th Premier League appearance and he marked it with a goal. The striker fired five shots towards Bart Verbruggen\u2019s goal during the first half and scored on his fifth attempt, caressing the ball into the bottom corner from close range. That strike was his 88th in the competition, nine more than any other player after a century of appearances in the competition\u2019s history. It was not a pass-heavy first half for Haaland, who attempted just one pass before the break, but he again provided the decisive contribution. He will never be a forward who knits play together, creates space for others and tees up teammates, but his relentless goalscoring returns more than make up for his lack of impact outside of the penalty area.<\/p>\n
Rodri\u2019s return matters
\nAlmost a year after his last Premier League start, Rodri returned to Guardiola\u2019s XI. The Ballon d\u2019Or winner had suffered an ACL tear last term and further setbacks at the FIFA Club World Cup. Sunday marked his full comeback. He dropped between the centre halves to dictate the tempo, recording the most touches (57) in the first half and a team-high six passes into the final third that helped break Brighton\u2019s press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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