Pep Guardiola admits Man City ‘forgot to play’ after Brighton penalty

Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City “forgot to play” after conceding a pivotal second-half penalty en route to suffering a last-gasp 2-1 Premier League loss at Brighton.

Former City midfielder James Milner converted the 67th-minute spot-kick to become the second oldest scorer in the competition’s history before fellow Seagulls substitute Brajan Gruda sparked wild celebrations with an 89th-minute winner.

The visitors had been in complete control at the Amex Stadium and led thanks to Erling Haaland marking his 100th English top-flight appearance with an 88th goal when he stabbed home a first-half opener.

Asked what changed the contest, City manager Guardiola – who revealed absent summer signing Rayan Cherki faces up to two months on the sidelines – replied: “The penalty. We shoot (blew) the game. We forgot to play.

“We decided to play long, more direct, it’s fine but it has to be ready for that. We were not ready to win the second (balls) when it happened.

“Of course the momentum in the Premier League always changes after a goal, it can do that.

“But in that moment we forgot to start to play like we had done brilliantly the first hour against a tough opponent.

“We conceded a goal and after that we were a little bit more unstable; not unstable because I know how good they are, how strong they are – it’s because we forget to continue playing. You never, never can stop playing.”

Defeat for City was a second in succession following last weekend’s deflating 2-0 home loss to Tottenham.

Haaland squandered a hat-trick of chances before opening the scoring in the 37th minute.

Brighton barely threatened until head coach Fabian Hurzeler made a quadruple substitution just after the hour mark, including introducing Milner and Gruda.

City midfielder Rodri, who made his first league start in almost a year, told Sky Sports: “Some of the mistakes we are doing are kids’ mistakes, you are not concentrating and paying attention.

“The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.”

Referee Darren England pointed to the spot after Lewis Dunk’s powerful volley across goal from Yasin Ayari’s free-kick struck the raised arm of Matheus Nunes.

Aged 39 years and 239 days, Milner emphatically dispatched his maiden Seagulls goal – and first since finding the net in Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Leicester on Boxing Day 2019 – into the bottom left corner, before Gruda compounded City’s misery.

Milner paid tribute to late former Reds team-mate Diogo Jota – whose number 20 shirt he has adopted this season after Jota’s death in a car crash – with his celebration.

“It was horrific (what happened to Jota),” he told BBC Sport after helping Brighton register a first top-flight victory this term.

“He was a great guy and a great team-mate. I loved him as both. I’ve not scored for six years and I was wearing his number. Obviously I’ve got help from the great man.

“It’s nice to get the goal in a victory. I’m delighted for the boys.

“In the first two games we didn’t feel we got what we deserved. This win was a real squad effort.

“It was a great move by the manager (to make four changes at once). The least we can do is come on and try and lift the tempo.”