The return of Rodri in Manchester City’s starting XI was supposed to be a step in the right direction for the struggling club, but it was more of the same for the Citizens against Brighton on Sunday, and the Spanish midfielder defended his performance.
“I’m not [Lionel] Messi,” Rodri said following City’s 2-1 loss at American Express Stadium. “I’m not going to come back and make the team win and win. This is a collective. When we won in the past, I needed all my teammates.
“For sure, I have to recover and find my best level. It’s not because I’m back we’re going to win. It’s a collective sport. Hopefully, after the break, we can come back much better.”
The defeat at Brighton followed a 2-0 home loss to Tottenham last weekend for City, which is demonstrating the same vulnerabilities and brittleness it showed last season when surrendering the title to Liverpool after four consecutive years as champions.
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“This is the reality — we are not at the level from a long time (ago),” said City midfielder Rodri, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner who was starting in the league for the first time since September last year following a serious knee injury.
Brajan Gruda surged through an open defense, rounded goalkeeper James Trafford and slotted into an empty net for the 89th-minute winner for Brighton, which trailed to Erling Haaland’s first-half strike — his 88th goal in 100 Premier League appearances since moving to England in 2022.
City conceded an equalizer in the 67th minute after Matheus Nunes raised his arm in the area to block a shot, with James Milner converting the penalty for Brighton to become — at age 39 years and 239 days — the second-oldest scorer in Premier League history. He is also the second youngest, having netted as a 16-year-old for Leeds.
With City noticeably fading, Brighton created a succession of chances before Gruda converted one to seal a repeat of his team’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over City last season.
City’s only points so far this season have come from a 4-0 opening-round win at Wolverhampton, after which pundits were saying Guardiola’s team was back. Now, it has fewer points than Manchester United.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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