Player Ratings

Ederson – 7.5 (MOTM)

Let down by those in front of him. Pulled off some impressive saves to keep the score down, and how worrying is it for Manchester City that that’s the case?

Kyle Walker – 2.5

Perhaps we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he’s not yet fully fit and wasn’t ready to start this game? That would be a better defence than anything Kyle Walker produced on the pitch today.

Manuel Akanji – 5.5

Jittery on the ball to begin with, settled a bit as it went on but had no hope of defending the goals with the lack of cover.

Nathan Ake – 5

Lost Evanilson completely on the second goal. Passed crisply enough but, like Manuel Akanji, Manchester City’s shape meant he was always fighting a losing battle.

Josko Gvardiol – 7

Managed to progress the ball down the left at least, although was still second best in a couple of duels. Wonderful headed goal.

Mateo Kovacic – 4.5

Little of his usual ball-retaining skills on show, as he couldn’t deal with Bournemouth’s suffocation of the middle of the park.

Ilkay Gundogan – 4

With all due respect to the legendary former captain, he takes the biggest share of the blame for Manchester City’s failure to control the midfield. He did produce a moment of quality with his assist in fairness.

Phil Foden – 5.5

Looked fairly bright in the opening exchanges, but as Manchester City’s struggles wore on, he was increasingly playing ‘hero ball’ and trying to save his team himself with outlandish shots which had no hope of going in.

Bernardo Silva – 5

All the endeavour and drive you know you’re going to get from him, but nowhere near enough penetration to make the difference in attack.

Matheus Nunes – 7

The only danger to Bournemouth’s backline for much of the game. One or two frustrating decisions, but on a day like today, other players probably racked up those numbers in the span of five minutes.

Erling Haaland – 4

Had to cope with physical attention which left him in pain all too often, but that doesn’t exonerate him from criticism for his shoddy work otherwise. Massive late chance missed.

Substitutes

Rico Lewis – 6

Some neat work in and around the area but nothing to penetrate.

Jeremy Doku – 6.5

Gave attacking drive and increased the threat level to Bournemouth.

Player Ratings

Ederson: A little clumsy in the opening minutes but made several important stops and nearly found the killer ball through to Haaland. 7

Walker: Credit to him for coming back from injury to start but he didn't look ready and was caught out on numerous occasions. 4

Akanji: Another who wasn't his usual self as he struggled to cope with the overloads from Bournemouth. 5

Ake: Guardiola admitted before the match he wasn't as sharp as they'd like and that showed with his positioning not as good as usual. 5

Gvardiol: Given a hard time by Semenyo in the early stages and couldn't find the attacking spaces he normally slips into. Another cracking goal though. 6

Kovacic: Bournemouth pounced when he got the ball and there were too many poor passes that gave possession back. 5

Gundogan: It still isn't happening, with the touches that once looked effortless now laboured. Couldn't give the team any drive. 5

Foden: City's best outfield player, at the heart of anything good they tried. It wasn't quite happening in the final third, but there was enough to suggest it isn't far away. 6

Silva: He could have been more incisive in the first half but he was one of the more creative players and was always looking for an option. 6

Nunes: Showed why he is in the best run of games he has had at City, proving enough of a nuisance from the left to worry Bournemouth. 6

Haaland: Didn't get much of a kick and looked like that isolation hindered him when the ball did come his way. 5

Substitutes

Lewis (for Ake, 73) Some fresh legs. 6

Doku (for Gundogan, 85) No time.

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 8/10 - Kept City in the game on numerous occasions, charging off and across his line impressively.

RB: Kyle Walker - 2/10 - Adhered to his manager's demands of pushing through the pain barrier to get on the pitch, but did very little to justify his clearly hampered participation.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 4/10 - Struggled to live with the pace of the game when Bournemouth cranked up the tempo.

CB: Nathan Ake - 5/10 - Up against his former club, Ake didn't have a particularly disastrous afternoon individually, but wasn't in the mood to reminisce with the fans.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - Much more comfortable up against Tavernier than Semenyo.

CM: Mateo Kovacic - 4/10 - A lonely stone pillar in the middle of a violent river, unable to stop the tide of red and black flooding forward on his own.

RM: Phil Foden - 4/10 - A defensive liability out wide, Foden drifted infield to get on the ball and only showed flashes of his abundant quality.

CM: Bernardo Silva - 6/10 - Constantly on the ball, prodding and probing from every blade of grass on the pitch.

CM: Ilkay Gundogan - 5/10 - Struggled to exert any discernible influence on proceedings until his late assist.

LM: Matheus Nunes - 4/10 - Most paths seemed to be a cul-de-sac for the shackled winger.

ST: Erling Haaland - 3/10 - Embraced the battle of Bournemouth's physical double-marking without ever winning the war.

Substitutes

SUB: Rico Lewis (73' for Ake) - 5/10

SUB: Jeremy Doku (85' for Gundogan) - N/A

Player Ratings

Ederson (6/10):

Made a wonderful double save to thwart Semenyo and Justin Kluivert. Couldn't really be faulted for the goals but his kicking was weak.

Kyle Walker (3/10):

In the team amid much surprise after Guardiola had said he would be out until after the international break. Looked awfully rusty, being destroyed by Kerkez.

Manuel Akanji (5/10):

Struggled to deal with Bournemouth's running in behind.

Nathan Ake (5/10):

Too slow to react for both goals. Got a standing ovation from his former club's supporters. Perhaps they were saying thanks for his passiveness.

Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

Poor for both Bournemouth goals, turned by Semenyo and then lost the race with Evanilson. Compensated at the other end by giving City hope with his thumping header.

Mateo Kovacic (5/10):

Too cumbersome in possession.

Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

Couldn't match Bournemouth's intensity but set up Gvardiol for the goal.

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

City's best attacker, responsible for their best moments.

Matheus Nunes (5/10):

Created one chance in the first half.

Erling Haaland (4/10):

Struggled to break Marcos Senesi's resistance but should have equalised in added time when he was denied by Mark Travers from point-blank range.

Phil Foden (5/10):

Destroyed by Milos Kerkez down the flank for the first goal. Fired just wide early in the second half and also missed the target right before the end.

Subs & Manager
Rico Lewis (5/10):

Should have come on much earlier, and for Walker rather than Ake.

Jeremy Doku (7/10):

Gave City a real chance in the 10 or so minutes he was on for.

Pep Guardiola (4/10):

Fielded too many players who were not fully fit, above all Walker when Lewis was able to play. Too slow to react, not making a sub until the 73rd minute.

Player Ratings

Ederson-9/10: He made several key saves and was at his best for the entire game. Without him, Manchester City may have suffered a heavy defeat.

Kyle Walker-4.5/10: Cannot fault his effort as it was a Herculean effort from Walker to even play. But he looked like a player who hadn’t played for several weeks.

Manuel Akanji-5.5/10: He wasn’t at his usual high standards for the majority of the game.

Nathan Ake-5/10: Ake looked leggy from kickoff. He tried hard but he isn’t fit enough yet to play two games in 4 games. It was a valiant effort from Ake to play as long as he did.

Josko Gvardiol-7.5/10: He scored City’s late goal and always offered a threat going forward. Defended well in a good display from Gvardiol.

Mateo Kovacic-6.5/10: In my opinion, Kovacic was the pick of City’s midfielders. He toiled away all game to his credit.

Ilkay Gundogan-6/10: Gundogan set up Gvardiol’s goal with a precise cross. He looked better than in previous games but is still working his way back into touch.

Phil Foden-6.5/10: Foden could’ve been the hero for Manchester City on another day. He spurned several good chances which is unlike Foden.

Bernardo Silva -6.5/10: Never stopped trying throughout the game. He wasn’t at his damaging best, but his work rate can’t be faulted.

Matheus Nunes-7/10: Another good display from Nunes. He was Manchester City’s biggest threat on the left-hand side for the majority of the afternoon.

Erling Haaland-5/10: Another game where Haaland suffered from a lack of service. His best chance of the afternoon came late but a fine save from Mark Travers and the post denied Haaland. That summed up his afternoon.

Substitutes

Rico Lewis-7/10: The introduction of Lewis sparked the champions. It was no coincidence that City looked at their best with Lewis on the pitch. That shows just how important he has become to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Jeremy Doku-N/A: Not on long enough to mark but did bring a threat down City’s left wing late on.

Manchester City face the prospect of being without Ruben Dias and John Stones for their remaining two matches before the international break.

Manchester City

Starting XI: Ederson; Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo ©, Foden; Savinho, Haaland, Nunes.

Substitutes: Ortega, Carson, Walker, Ake, Wilson-Esbrand, Wright, O’Reilly, Gundogan, De Bruyne, McAtee, Doku.

Player Ratings

Ederson – 5

Should have done better for their second goal. Not expected to save the penalty or Gyokeres chance.

Rico Lewis – 6

Found all the half spaces and always looking forwards when on the ball.

Manuel Akanji – 5

Poor communication with Simpson-Pusey for the first Sporting goal but struggled to deal with their forward passes.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey – 5

Similar with Akanji. Looked a little shakey on the ball. Needs more minutes to build his confidence.

Josko Gvardiol – 4

Caught out of position for the first Sporting goal. Gave away the penalty for their third.

Mateo Kovacic – 6

Covered every blade of grass and was key in progressing the ball forwards.

Bernardo Silva © – 6.5

Had a chance late in the first-half but couldn’t hit the target. Effective when rotating play in the final third.

Matheus Nunes – 5

Was having a good game until he gave away a penalty late in the second-half.

Phil Foden – 7

Always alert and quick which led to his goal. A really strong performance from him despite being on the losing side.
Savinho – 6

Absolute dynamite on the ball and always a threat taking on his man. Started to look for goal more than he should have in the second half, and once again showed signs of immaturity with indiscipline.

Erling Haaland – 5

Had many chances in the first half and was unlucky to score. Missed a crucial penalty in the second half.

Substitutes:

Jeremy Doku – 5

Tried to offer some pace from the left but didn’t create any real chances.

Ilkay Gundogan – 5

Had no real impact on the game when he came on.

Kevin De Bruyne – 6

Took control of the game for the 10 minutes he played. Good to see him back on the pitch.

Player Ratings

Ederson: Smart early on to deny Gyokeres but couldn't keep it up with so little protection from his defence. 7

Lewis: Wasteful on the ball in the first half but improved as the game went on and fought hard to try to get City back in it. 6

Simpson-Pusey: A difficult night for the debutant - plenty of positives but a few ropey moments as well. 5

Akanji: Took responsibility for Gyokeres where he could but was also left watching on as Sporting broke through the lines. 5

Gvardiol: An error of Cancelo proportions to compound a misplaced pass by running all the way back and giving a penalty away. 4

Kovacic: It's unfair to compare him to Rodri but the downgrade in that position is visible and the game went by him. 4

Silva: Excellent at crafting but Sporting equalised minutes after he wasted a good chance to score. 5

Foden: Brilliant to score the first goal and again led the team, he just couldn't keep it up and do it on his own. 6

Savinho: Looked very good right up until the final ball, which got more frustrating as the night went on. 5

Nunes: Not as effective as in recent weeks and silly to give the second penalty away. 4

Haaland: Unlucky a few times in the first half but the penalty miss was a real chance to change the game. 4

Substitutes

Gundogan (for Silva, 77) Could do nothing to turn the tide. 6

Doku (for Savinho, 77) Showed energy. 6

De Bruyne (for Kovacic, 83) A positive to be on the pitch. 6

Player Ratings

Ederson (6/10):

Stood his ground against Gyokeres at the first attempt but then left shell-shocked by Sporting's flying attacks.

Rico Lewis (4/10):

Eaten alive by Araujo on a night when City missed Walker badly.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (4/10):

A daunting occasion for the 19-year-old to make his full debut and so it proved. Destroyed by Gyokeres for the equaliser, though made an important tackle on the striker later.

Manuel Akanji (4/10):

Couldn't cope with Gyokeres.

Josko Gvardiol (3/10):

Beaten for pace by Trincao and pushed him over in frustration, giving away the first penalty.

Mateo Kovacic (4/10):

Kept getting overwhelmed.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Went close to scoring and was influential when City bossed the first half.

Matheus Nunes (5/10):

Decent in the first half but then lost his head amid Sporting's intensity, giving the second penalty away.
Phil Foden (7/10):

Approaching his best form in the first half

Erling Haaland (3/10):

His dismal night was summed up when he crashed his penalty against the bar. Five shots, no goals

Savinho (5/10):

Probed a lot in the first half but didn't track back when Sporting kept pouring forward.

Subs & Manager
Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

Wasn't the player needed at this moment.

Jeremy Doku (6/10):

Gave City a tiny bit of belief going forward.

Kevin De Bruyne (N/A):

A terrible occasion to make his comeback from injury.

Pep Guardiola (4/10):

A good start but clueless to halt Sporting's resurgence. His changes came too late and the personnel made little sense, especially De Bruyne. A bad start to what should be a fascinating rivalry with Amorim.

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 4/10 - Couldn't do much about any of the four close-range finishes, two of which were penalties.

RB: Rico Lewis - 4/10 - Popping up in midfield, Lewis' mischievous wandering often left a gaping hole in City's backline.

CB: Jahmai Simpson-Pusey - 5/10 - The 19-year-old had some bright moments on a tough night spent trying and failing to stop a striker of Gyokeres' calibre on the first start of his senior career.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 5/10 - Despite being part of a backline which shipped four goals, Akanji didn't have a horror show - that dishonour fell to his teammates.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 3/10 - Boneheaded to charge into Trincao's back when he had only just entered the outer edges of City's penalty box.

CM: Mateo Kovacic - 4/10 - Never entirely convincing off the ball in an albeit difficult position.

CM: Bernardo Silva - 6/10 - The former Benfica player didn't look at home in Lisbon and he couldn't help his teammates overturn a five-minute blackout.

AM: Phil Foden - 6/10 - Free to roam around at his will. Foden caused havoc in the final third but was less effective when picking the ball up in the centre circle.

RW: Savinho - 3/10 - Had plenty of touches though not many were telling, struggled with the physicality of Araujo.

ST: Erling Haaland - 1/10 - Found different ways to be wasteful; lashing at shots, hurriedly rushing his efforts or making weak contact. And that was all before smashing the crossbar with his penalty.

LW: Matheus Nunes - 2/10 - The only significant impact Nunes made at his former home was giving away a penalty.

Substitutes

SUB: Jeremy Doku (76' for Savinho) - 5/10

SUB: Ilkay Gundogan (76' for Bernardo) - 5/10

SUB: Kevin De Bruyne (84' for Kovacic) - N/A

Manager

Pep Guardiola - 3/10 - Utterly failed to shake his side out of their second-half slumber and never got a handle on Sporting's swift counters.

Player Ratings

Ederson-5.5/10: Made one good save early on but had no chance with Sporting’s other three goals. Is being left too exposed by City’s defensive frailties.

Rico Lewis-5.5/10: Gave away possession early which led to Viktor Gyökeres’ first chance of the night. Improved after that but wasn’t at his best.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey-6.5/10: For me, the youngster was City’s best defender on the night. Didn’t look out of place as some of his more experienced teammates faltered.

Manuel Akanji-5/10: A poor performance from Akanji. Struggled with the pace of Sporting’s counters and looked leggy all game.

Josko Gvardiol-5/10: Well below his best. Gave away a penalty and just couldn’t get into the game like he usually does.

Mateo Kovacic-6/10: Like Bernardo Silva, he never stopped trying. But as the game wore on he did look to run out of legs in midfield.

Bernardo Silva-6.5/10: He never stopped trying, but his first-half performance was better than his second-half display. Earned City a penalty that Erling Haaland missed.

Savinho-6/10: Had his moments but couldn’t really get into the game, especially after halftime.

Phil Foden-7/10: Manchester City’s best player on the night. Scored one and gave life to City’s ageing midfield.

Matheus Nunes-6/10: Toiled away again but couldn’t affect the game after Sporting’s second-half burst. He gave away a penalty but that did seem harsh.

Erling Haaland-4/10: A poor performance from Haaland. Missed a host of chances in the first half and his second-half penalty miss summed up City’s night.

Substitutes

Jeremy Doku-6/10: Came on with the game already lost. Had no time to make a meaningful impact.

Ilkay Gundogan-6/10: Came on with the game already over and had no time to affect proceedings.

Kevin De Bruyne-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Information of French newspaper L’Equipe, as translated and relayed by Get Football, who claim that City are currently considering two players who could potentially arrive in January to compensate for the long-term absence of Rodri this season.

It is claimed that one candidate is Torino and Italy international midfielder Samuele Ricci, with the 23-year-old currently under contract in Serie A until 2026, as well as Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

Starting XI: Ederson; Lewis, Walker ©, Simpson-Pusey, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Gundogan, Foden; Savinho, Haaland, Nunes.

Substitutes: Ortega, Ake, Akanji, Wilson-Esbrand, Wright, O’Reilly, Bernardo, De Bruyne, McAtee.

Player Ratings

Ederson – 7.5

Made a number of crucial saves in the second half and was unfortunate to lose his clean sheet status.

Kyle Walker – 5

Walker seems to have lost a yard of pace this season, with wingers catching on to his age and punishing him emphatically. Several key chances for Brighton came down the full-back’s side tonight.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey – 6.5

A second successive start for the youngster who had a tidy performance overall.

Josko Gvardiol – 6.5

A rare appearance in the centre of defence for Josko Gvardiol, who looked comfortable overall.

Rico Lewis – 6

Not the finest outing of his Manchester City career, with the teenager understandably looking leggy. Slow to react to Brighton’s second.

Mateo Kovacic – 8

Delivered the assist for Erling Haaland’s goal and looked sharp in midfield overall, running proceedings for a large portion of the game.

Ilkay Gundogan – 7

A decent showing from the German before being replaced by Bernardo Silva in the second half.

Phil Foden – 7

It feels as though Phil Foden isn’t quite at his best yet this season for one reason or another. Manchester City will need to rely on the excellence Foden shown last season if they are to pick their feet up again in this campaign.

Savinho – 7.5

The Brazilian winger shown glimpses of quality in the first half, including a guilt edged chance which was saved by Bart Verbruggen, but the winger couldn’t find the killer edge while on the pitch.

Erling Haaland – 7.5

A hard-fought opening goal gave the blues a deserved lead, courtesy of Erling Haaland who had a solid afternoon.

Matheus Nunes – 7

Despite not contributing directly it was another good performance from Matheus Nunes, who proved his worth in the line-up tonight.

Substitutes

Bernardo Silva – 6

Didn’t make any notable contributions during his 20-minute cameo.

Kevin De Bruyne – 6

Similar to Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne didn’t have enough time to make his presence felt.

Player Ratings

Ederson

Just about composed with his feet and quick to come out and stop some dangerous attacks. One brilliant point-blank save in the second half and another brave stop to deny Mitoma. Helpless for the goals. 8

Rico Lewis

Moved over to the left, he looked good moving into midfield but was exposed at the back. Perhaps clumsy for the first goal and let O'Riley through for the second. 5

Kyle Walker

The most senior defender by some distance given he was 11 years older than the next-most experienced in the back four. Walker started well but was lucky when Joao Pedro got past him but fluffed his lines - to the anger of Guardiola. 5

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

Trusted again, Simpson-Pusey looked calm on the ball, kept it simple and got stuck in against a physical Danny Welbeck. His best performance yet on his Premier League debut - looking more at home every time he plays. But another defeat. 6

Josko Gvardiol

A rare outing in the centre of defence. Gvardiol helped Simpson-Pusey out well but questions can be asked of his role in both Brighton goals - could he have done more or been in a better position? 5

Mateo Kovacic

Just as doubts were being raised over his suitability at number six, Kovacic was on course for his best performance in a long time. A fine assist capped a good first half. Once again, though, City leaked goals through the middle. 6

Ilkay Gundogan

Another player who turned up when City needed him. Gundogan has taken time to show his best since returning - this was a much better performance where he complemented Kovacic and helped build pressure in attack. Replaced when City were still ahead. 7

Phil Foden

Quiet in the first half as he held his position behind Haaland. Improved after the break, particularly when combining with Savinho on the counter. 6

Savinho

So close to scoring in the first half, and a constant threat on the right. Sent another effort wide in the second half, keeping his full-back pinned back all night. Unlucky to be substituted. 7

Matheus Nunes

He looks like he has been a left-winger all his career. Slowed the game down like Jack Grealish does, and drove into the box like Phil Foden or Jeremy Doku. He's stepped up at the perfect time in the last couple of weeks. Ended the game back in the middle. 6

Erling Haaland

After a few off-days in front of goal, Haaland was never going to miss when Kovacic played him through. He's the fastest player to score 75 Premier League goals, and his link-up play was much-improved too. 7

Subs

Bernardo Silva (on 71): Busy and energetic, moving over to the wing after coming on in the middle. 6

Kevin De Bruyne (on 73): Couldn't drag City back into the game. 6

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 5/10 - Was relatively untested between the sticks, before the final moments of the game, but did make some excellent line-breaking passes to his teammates.

RB: Rico Lewis - 7/10 - Lewis immediately moved higher up the pitch to help out the midfield and impressed with his duality. He made some excellent clearances and proved to work hard on the ball. Sometimes faltered in defensive duties.

CB: Kyle Walker - 5/10 - Walker's slow pace seemed to affect his ability to protect City's backline well. The senior defender looked to be one of the weaker aspects of the team, often proving liable when Brighton pushed on to attack.

CB: Jahmai Simpson-Pusey - 7/10 - Very strong showing from the 19-year-old who looked calm and composed at the back. The youngster picked his passes well and made sure to get himself into fantastic positions.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 7/10 - Gvardiol made a stunning block in the first half to prevent Brighton from scoring and continued to impress in defence. A strong, commanding performance from the left-back.

DM: Mateo Kovacic - 8/10 - Absolutely immense showing from Kovacic. His ability to control the ball proved vital for City and his talent at fending off opponents whilst under pressure helped his side claim success.

RW: Savinho - 6/10 - Savinho missed the chance to put City ahead early on and was forced to work hard on the right side of the pitch to make up for Walker's lack of pace.

AM: Phil Foden - 6/10 - Struggled to impress against Brighton and needed to get more involved in the game if he wanted to make a true impact. However, he did drop further down the field to support his teammates on various occasions - a movement that seemed more fruitful.

AM: Ilkay Gundogan - 4/10 - Gundogan found it hard to get into the game. The midfielder made sloppy touches and lazy passes whilst struggling to keep up with the pace of the game.

LW: Matheus Nunes - 4/10 - Was lucky to escape a foul on Adingra. Nunes worked to create pockets of space, but ultimately his attacking contributions were mediocre at best.

ST: Erling Haaland - 7/10 - Haaland bagged his 12th Premier League goal and split the sides in the first half. The talented striker drove down the pitch at an impressive speed to create chances for his side - impressive.

Substitutes

SUB: Bernardo Silva (72' for Gundogan) - 6/10

SUB: Kevin De Bruyne (74' for Savinho) - 5/10

Manager

Pep Guardiola - 4/10 - Another poor showing for the Catalan boss and his side. Guardiola failed to learn from the mistakes made in previous games and paid the price.

Player Ratings

Ederson (6/10):

Point-blank save from Jack Hinshelwood although it was a nice height then shut down Kaoru Mitoma. Not much he could do about the goals.

Kyle Walker (4/10):

Not as bad as his nightmare display the last time he was on the south coast but still too passive, taken for a ride by Mitoma.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (5/10):

Made some important interceptions but looked weak against Danny Welbeck. Had to take a booking to stop him then powerless to halt the waves of Brighton attacks.

Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

A good first half made way for a disastrous second. Flashed a header wide when City were chasing the game.

Rico Lewis (5/10)

Easily shoved out of the way for each goal and couldn't dominate the ball as he so often does.

Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

Looked more assured than in recent weeks and when he left the pitch City were 1-0 up.

Mateo Kovacic (7/10):

His passing was excellent in the first half, doing the hard work for Haaland's goal. Stood off too much in the second.

Matheus Nunes (6/10):

Some nice passages of play down the left but struggled defensively.

Phil Foden (5/10):

Not incisive enough.

Erling Haaland (8/10):

Looked like his usual self, bulldozing defenders out of the way and linking up well with his team-mates.

Savinho (6/10):

Tricky and often threatening but shooting needs work as he is still waiting for a first goal for City.

Subs & Manager

Bernardo Silva (5/10):

Didn't know how to handle Brighton's rampant attacking play.

Kevin De Bruyne (5/10):

Looked lethargic and played into Brighton's hands. And yet he almost scored the equaliser from range.

Pep Guardiola (4/10):

Had no idea how to tame Brighton in the second half and his substitutions only made things worse.

Player Ratings

Ederson-6.5/10: Made one stunning save in the second half. But he is being let down by his defence and could do little about either of Brighton’s goals.

Rico Lewis-6/10: Played at left-back and was good in the first half and faded out of the game in the second.

Kyle Walker-4/10: For 60 minutes Walker was good. He then made several errors and looked to run out of legs. Once his game slipped City stumbled alongside their captain.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey-7/10: An excellent performance from Simpson-Pusey. Unfortunately for him, he’s been let down by his more experienced teammates in his first two starts for the club.

Josko Gvardiol-6/10: Played as a centre-back and was calm and composed for the first hour. But as the game wore on his performance dipped as City buckled.

Mateo Kovacic-7.5/10: Manchester City’s man-of-the-match for me. Did all he could and set up Haaland’s goal with an exquisite piece of midfield play.

Ilkay Gundogan-7/10: His best performance since returning to Manchester City. He was good in possession and looked more like the Gundogan we all know.

Savinho-6.5/10: He had his moments, but either his final delivery or finishing was just off. A bright display that just lacked any end product.

Phil Foden-5/10: Foden couldn’t get into the game. Manchester City needed him today and he wasn’t at his best.

Matheus Nunes-4/10: Gave away the ball too often and wasn’t as threatening as recent games. Also was guilty of giving away cheap fouls too often.

Erling Haaland-7/10: A better all-around performance from Haaland. Scored City’s goal and got involved in the play more. Unfortunately his service dried up in the second half.

Substitutes

Bernardo Silva-6/10: Came on in the second half but he looks tired.

Kevin De Bruyne-6/10: Had some moments but not as many as he would’ve liked.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has agreed to a 12-month extension of his Etihad Stadium contract, reports on Tuesday night have indicated.