'i'm Not Messi' - Rodri's Back But What Is Wrong At Man City?

After winning nan Premier League successful six of nan erstwhile 7 campaigns, past play was dismissed arsenic a blip arsenic Manchester City suffered conscionable their 2nd trophyless word nether Pep Guardiola.

There were mitigating circumstances, specified arsenic nan 115 charges hanging complete nan club, speculation complete Guardiola's early and wounded to midfielder Rodri.

But, aft spending astir £330m crossed this summertime and January's transportation window, City were expected to return refreshed, revitalised and fresh to reclaim nan Premier League title.

Evidence of that is successful short supply.

In fact, pursuing Brighton's last-gasp 2-1 triumph connected Sunday, City person now made their worst commencement to a Premier League run since nan 2004-05 play - and nary squad successful a 38-game run has recovered from their position to triumph nan title.

So, contempt nan return of Ballon d'Or victor Rodri and pinch Erling Haaland backmost connected nan extremity trail, are City still realistic title challengers?

Guardiola's champion teams person been built connected control, patterns of play and attacking incision.

When City hit Wolves 4-0 connected nan opening play of nan season, it was earthy to deliberation nan troubles that had plagued them past word had been erased complete nan summer.

But Sunday's conclusion connected nan southbound seashore was a repetition of nan inconsistency City displayed passim past season.

Guardiola's broadside stifled Brighton successful nan first half, limiting nan Seagulls to a azygous opportunity done Kaoru Mitoma.

Erling Haaland, making his 100th Premier League quality for City, opened nan scoring pinch his 88th convention extremity for nan club.

But a quadruple substitution by Brighton leader Fabian Hurzeler aft an hr changed nan people of nan game, pinch James Milner, Brajan Gruda, Georgino Rutter and Yasin Ayari entering nan fray.

Brighton dominated from location on, equalising from nan punishment spot done Milner, earlier a last-gasp victor from Gruda.

"We conceded 2 goals. We were fantabulous for 1 hour," Guardiola told BBC Sport.

"After nan extremity we forgot to play. We were reasoning of nan consequences.

"I for illustration many, galore things we are doing. Like against Tottenham, we started well. I for illustration galore things nan squad has done present coming but we were incapable to win. When we conceded nan goal, we stopped playing.

"It's 1 game. The play has conscionable started. There is simply a long, agelong play up of us. We will spot what happens."

Only Manchester United's 1992-1993 title-winning squad person recovered from losing 2 of their first 3 convention matches to beryllium crowned champions, and that came during a 42-game season.

"It's backmost to nan drafting committee for Man City," erstwhile Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said.

"There are a batch of questions still astir this squad and Pep Guardiola. Is he going to move it around? He has ne'er been successful a business rather for illustration this earlier and nan spread keeps getting deeper and deeper."

Nothing impacted City's disappointing run past play much than nan absence of Rodri.

The Spaniard, crowned nan champion subordinate successful nan world astatine nan 2024 Ballon d'Or awards, was ruled retired pinch an ACL wounded past September.

The erstwhile Atletico Madrid midfielder has agelong been City's difference-maker.

In fact, earlier conclusion by Brighton, City hadn't mislaid a crippled successful which Rodri had started successful nan Premier League since a 1-0 conclusion by Spurs successful February 2023 - ending a 49-game unbeaten streak for nan Spaniard.

The 29-year-old remains City's astir important subordinate but it would beryllium cruel to expect him to return to nan levels he had shown antecedently aft 8 months retired pinch injury.

"I'm not Messi. I'm not going to travel backmost and conscionable make nan squad triumph and triumph and win," Rodri told Sky Sports.

"This is simply a collective. When we won successful nan past I needed each my team-mates. For judge I request to retrieve my champion level and we person to look to each of ourselves, it is simply a corporate sport. Hopefully aft nan break we tin beryllium overmuch better."

Rodri, who was making his first Premier League commencement since injuring his knee against Arsenal 11 months ago, was besides keen to accent his return unsocial would not beryllium capable for City to rediscover their erstwhile selves.

"Some of nan mistakes we are doing are kids' mistakes, you are not concentrating and paying attention," said Rodri.

"The reality is that we person to raise nan level if we want to compete."

"We are not astatine nan level for a long, agelong time."

Manchester City's out-of-possession activity has been nan root of immoderate of their struggles successful caller weeks.

Losses to some Spurs and Brighton item an emerging shape that is apt contributing to City's mediocre commencement to nan season. City property precocious against opponents erstwhile they build up from nan goalkeeper. The instruction to property high, paired pinch asking nan full-back to screen a larger region successful which they are tasked pinch pressing, has fixed teams nan chance to utilization Guardiola's men down nan flanks.

For some nan first extremity Spurs scored and nan 2nd extremity Brighton scored, nan shot is moved to a defender retired wide pinch City's attacker incapable to property them tightly. The opposition's wide subordinate is capable to move and look forwards earlier playing a nonstop walk into nan channels.

One of nan guidance players drops deeper dragging City's full-back pinch them, Nathan Ake against Spurs and Rico Lewis against Brighton.

City truthful extremity up pinch 3 players successful their backmost line, pinch each 3 players shifting complete to screen nan abstraction near vacant by nan full-back.

One of City's centre-backs ends up having to take sides connected nan flank successful an area they are little comfortable with, making them much apt to suffer their respective duel.

Opposition players are past capable to tally into nan abstraction betwixt nan spread-out 3 defenders.

With this wide shape seen successful their 2 astir caller games, it is worthwhile paying attraction to really Guardiola and co activity to reside this problem going forward.

City caput into nan Manchester derby against Manchester United connected 14 September down their awesome rivals.

Given nan unit connected Ruben Amorim astatine nan commencement of this season, fewer would person expected that.

But if there's a metallic lining to City's commencement to nan season, it's that Haaland appears backmost to his best.

The Norwegian's astonishingly-high standards dipped somewhat past season, pinch Haaland netting 22 times successful 31 convention appearances.

But nan 25-year-old already has 3 goals successful 3 convention appearances this term.

Guardiola confirmed pursuing nan conclusion by Brighton that playmaker Rayan Cherki will miss nan adjacent 2 months done injury, which only adds to nan unit connected Haaland's shoulders.

But if City tin proceed to support nan Norwegian among nan goals and tighten up astatine nan back, they could yet characteristic successful nan title race.