Man City Held by Brighton as Guardiola Praises Performance but Laments Missed Chances
Manchester City were left frustrated after being held by Brighton in an entertaining Premier League clash, despite Pep Guardiola insisting his side produced one of their most encouraging performances in recent weeks.
City dominated large spells of the game, creating a flurry of clear-cut chances, but a lack of composure in front of goal ultimately proved costly. Guardiola was visibly pleased with the overall display, yet openly critical of his team’s finishing.
“I liked a lot the way we played, a lot! Many, many new players, and many good things. But we don’t score goals. It’s too many clear chances,” Guardiola said after the match.
Missed Chances Cost City
Guardiola made it clear that the issue wasn’t down to one individual, but rather a collective failure in the final third.
“It’s not just one player, two players, three players – it’s all the people up front. We created a lot, chances in the six-yard box, and we could not score,” he added.
Despite the dropped points, City’s defensive structure impressed, particularly against Brighton’s dynamic attacking setup.
“Defensively the team is incredibly committed, defending really good with everyone. We played exceptionally well… but scoring goals is part of doing your job.”
Guardiola Angry Over Penalty Decision
Guardiola also voiced strong frustration over a refereeing decision, insisting City were denied a clear penalty that should never have needed VAR intervention.
“It was a penalty. I don’t know how the referee didn’t whistle and it had to be VAR’d to do it. There are too many things that were too clear,” he said.
The City boss suggested that with VAR in place, officiating decisions should be more straightforward.
“Now it’s an easy job for the referees, an easy job.”
Praise for Khusanov and Max Alleyne
One of the major positives for City was the performance of young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne, who formed an impressive partnership.
Guardiola was full of admiration for Khusanov’s physical qualities and defensive maturity:
“Khusanov is incredible; helped us with long balls in-behind. He can control all the width, he’s so fast. Defensively he’s top.”
He also highlighted areas for growth:
“He will grow up, be more courageous and involved in the process, the play. It’s a question of time.”
Alleyne, meanwhile, caught the eye despite having only recently trained with the squad.
“Yesterday was his first training… I’m grateful and say thank you to Watford because they helped him a lot to grow up as a footballer,” Guardiola said.
While noting some early defensive issues, Pep was glowing about Alleyne’s overall display:
“On the ball he’s really, really exceptional. He missed one ball, the rest was TOP! Really, really top… He will have many victories in the future!”
Injury Blow for Savinho
City were also dealt an injury setback, with Guardiola confirming winger Savinho is expected to be sidelined for up to two months.
“Long. No! Come on… long is long, but it isn’t a century! Month and a half, two months. But he will be back,” Guardiola explained.
When asked if City would look to sign a replacement winger, Guardiola remained non-committal:
“I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the transfer window.”
Final Thoughts
Despite failing to secure all three points, Guardiola left the match encouraged by City’s intensity, structure, and the emergence of young talents. However, the message was clear: performance alone is not enough without goals.
For Manchester City, turning dominance into victories remains the key challenge as the season progresses.
