In a Premier League showdown at the Amex Stadium, Manchester City faced a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Brighton, marking a rare stumble for the reigning champions. Despite a promising start, City couldn’t hold off Brighton’s relentless second-half push, ultimately succumbing to the Seagulls’ late-game resurgence.

City drew first blood in the 23rd minute thanks to Erling Haaland, who latched onto a beautiful pass from Mateo Kovacic. Kovacic showcased incredible vision, threading the ball past Igor Julio and Jan Paul van Hecke to find Haaland, whose precise finish left the Brighton defense scrambling. The City striker demonstrated his trademark determination, clinically slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to give City the early advantage.

However, Brighton didn’t back down. Their persistence paid off in the 78th minute when a scrappy sequence in the box fell kindly for Joao Pedro, who wasted no time in driving the ball into the back of the net, leveling the score. With renewed energy, Brighton capitalized on City’s defensive frailties just five minutes later. Pedro once again proved instrumental, slipping a smart pass to teammate Matt O’Riley, who slotted home to give the Seagulls a 2-1 lead.

City pressed forward but couldn’t manage a response, and the match concluded with a hard-fought victory for Brighton. The defeat underscores the challenges of maintaining form in the Premier League and leaves City fans eagerly anticipating a return to winning ways in their upcoming fixtures.