For the first time under Pep Guardiola's management, Manchester City has recorded its fourth consecutive official match defeat, losing 2-1 to Brighton and intensifying the crisis of results. Despite starting strong with a goal from Erling Haaland in the first half, City collapsed in the second half with successful strikes from João Pedro and Matt O'Riley.

The term 'necessity' hovered over Manchester City unusually, coming into the match against Brighton after a dismal week with three straight losses across three different competitions: a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the FA Cup's round of 16, a 2-0 loss to a spirited Bournemouth in the Premier League, and a 4-1 thrashing by Sporting in the Champions League.

This fourth consecutive defeat marks uncharted territory for Guardiola’s City, which could not stop the slide in a spectacular second half by a Brighton team performing at Champions League level.

Guardiola also faced numerous absences critical to the team's recovery efforts. John Stones, Rodri Hernández, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias, and Oscar Bobb were sidelined due to injuries. The Spanish coach was forced to field young Jahmal Simpson-Pusey in his starting eleven, placing him in central defense alongside Josko Gvardiol, who was moved from fullback to make room for Rico Lewis.