Pep Guardiola’s men were down to 10 men in the aftermath of Joao Cancelo’s harsh dismissal early on in the game, leaving the side vulnerable against a good Brighton attack.
The Blues however, were leading with a strong two-goal advantage until the 50th minute, courtesy of goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden. But three shocking bits of defending handed all three points to the Seagulls.
With the Premier League title now wrapped up, this game will have negligible consequences in Manchester City’s domestic season, but Pep Guardiola will want his team back to winning ways when they face Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton, before they take on their first-ever Champions League Final against Chelsea on 29th May.
Here are five things we learned from Tuesday night’s numbing defeat…
A brilliant streak comes to an end
Manchester City’s impressive English league record of 12 consecutive away wins came to an end, after a disappointing loss.
Manchester City have been impeccable away from home this season, recording the longest ever undefeated away run by a side in the top four tiers of English football, with 23 consecutive unbeaten results.
This marvellous streak came to an end with Tuesday night’s defeat but it’s a testament to the remarkable performances this squad has produced, after a slow start earlier in the season.
Phil Foden gears up for the Final
Foden scored a brilliant individual goal on Tuesday night to get his side a strong two-goal advantage, after initially being heavily booed by the Brighton fans at the Amex Stadium.
The Stockport-born forward wowed the viewers with a stunning solo goal, as he picked up the ball inside his own half and raced through towards the goal from the left side, displaying his underrated strength as he wrestled past Brighton defenders, making no mistake once he arrived in Brighton’s box.
The 20-year-old has a mind-blowing tally of 25 goal involvements in all competitions this season, behind only Kevin De Bruyne (26), and will be happy to get on the scoresheet leading up to the crucial game against Chelsea in the Champions League final at the end of this month.
Excellent test for Dias and Stones
Manchester City conceded three goals in consecutive matches for the first time since 2016 – a statistic which will hardly impress Pep Guardiola.
Much of City’s defensive shortcomings were due to the red card received very early in the game, when Joao Cancelo was sent off in the 10th minute. The Blues managed to keep the hosts away for 50 minutes, thanks to the brilliant performances from Ruben Dias and John Stones, along with excellent support from Oleksandr Zinchenko but ultimately conceded because of silly flaws in a twenty-minute spell where the opposition applied intense pressure.
This performance against a very good Brighton side, despite being one man down, will be effective practice for their upcoming Champions League game against Chelsea, if this unfortunate scenario were to occur again, especially with the highly controversial Antonio Mateu Lahoz officiating the match.
It is safe to say that the outcome of this match would have been completely different without a red card and Manchester City would have surely come away with all three points, but nevertheless, a strong defensive display for a large part of the game will be a positive to take away.
Ederson beginning to create a legacy
The 27-year-old has now retained the Premier League Golden Glove, having kept 18 clean sheets in the 35 League matches he has played so far this season.
Ederson, who has made his 190th appearance since joining the Blues for a record £35 million fee back in the summer of 2017, became the first Manchester City goalkeeper since Joe Hart to win the Premier League’s Golden Glove award, when he achieved the feat last season.
In winning the award, Ederson has also become the first goalkeeper to win back-to-back Golden Glove awards since Joe Hart registered the record between 2010 and 2013. The Brazilian also has an assist to his name for his wonderful pass leading up to Ilkay Gundogan’s goal against Tottenham and is now creating a legacy of his own at the Mancunian club.
Is Eric Garcia suddenly a good riddance?
The Spanish youngster’s move to Barcelona is all but confirmed, but his cameos for his current side have left fans unimpressed, with some more reactionary supporters calling Garcia’s exit a good riddance.
Eric Garcia came on to fill the void left by Joao Cancelo and took to the pitch on the right side of Manchester City’s defence – an unfamiliar role for the centre back.
However, Brighton’s attacking players constantly got the better of him with their pace, leaving the Blues extremely vulnerable at the back. Manchester City’s makeshift defence failed to deal with the opposition’s rapid transitions and let three goals past in a nervy game.
Manchester City have conceded 38% of their goals when the Spaniard was on the pitch, but this statistic is a harsh representation of the player’s ability, with reports of him being regarded as one of the most intelligent and professional players in Pep Guardiola’s side, even at such a young age.
Nevertheless, whether his departure is good riddance or not, only time will tell.
Manchester City face Everton next in the final game of the Premier League season on 23rd May at the Etihad Stadium, as they prepare to lift the Premier League trophy for the third time in the last four seasons and the fifth time since the takeover of Sheikh Mansour.
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