Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated the reason why he benched thier No 1 goal keeper Edison In yesterday match Vs Brighton
With the international break, Manchester City appeared eager to put the Arsenal loss behind them. To avoid falling further behind in the fight for the championship, Pep Guardiola’s team must ‘break’ their losing streak, as they might have fallen five points behind the leaders with a defeat against Brighton. While he was thinking ahead, his team choice conveyed his true feelings about the three losses from the previous four in all competitions, as well as who the culprits were.
After returning from Brazil, goalkeeper Ederson was benched, and Stefan Ortega started the team’s fourth league game in the previous fifteen. The previous 62 had been started by Ederson. Additionally replaced were Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic, and Rico Lewis. At Arsenal, the starting lineup included the goalkeeper, two centre backs, and two central midfielders.
John Stones was making his first start of the year while Rodri came returning after serving his ban. It felt telling that Guardiola tore up the spine of his side, which failed to create against Arsenal, yet those two alone made their partners look much better. City was on track for a much-needed victory and got back on track in the title race against Brighton thanks to two goals in the first half.
Haaland, a skilled shooter
Erling Haaland gained control of the ball in Wolves’ half, moved forward, and fired a rocket from just outside the box into the bottom corner 13 months ago. 55 games later, the striker repeated the action against Brighton, this time using his left foot as opposed to his right, to give City the lead over Roberto De Zerbi’s team.
Amazingly, out of a whopping 61 goals, Haaland’s only two goals for City have come from outside the box. He scored 46 goals between his two attempts from a distance of more than 18 yards, demonstrating how dangerous he is within the penalty area and how he is a threat even when not there.
This was a welcome “return to form” for Haaland after two league blanks. His midfield work and link-up play are quietly getting better with each match. It seems unlikely that City will have to wait another 55 games for his next long-range goal if he can start expanding his repertoire of out-of-the-box attempts.
The ship is stabilised by Rodri’s return.
The City team lost every game last month without Rodri, and he came right back into the lineup. Similar to when he played for RB Leipzig, his return stabilised the midfield and proved that he is possibly City’s most crucial player. The system permitted Phil Foden to drift inside from the wing and Bernardo Silva to advance further from a central position.
That system benefited from John Stones’ return as well, sometimes advancing further than Rodri. His return should strengthen the defence and return City to the lineup that helped them win the treble towards the end of the previous campaign.
Rodri’s teammates have emphasised his significance in his absence, according to Guardiola, who claimed the player has learned from his petulant red card against Nottingham Forest. The manager might have been annoyed when Rodri received a yellow card for kicking the ball away after an offside, so he may have risked drawing the referee’s attention by vehemently arguing his case for a significant amount of time. Prior to the derby the following week, Rodri would not have received another favourable suspension.
‘Successor’ is outwitted by the master
Guardiola dodged several inquiries about De Zerbi’s potential to succeed him as manager at the Etihad during the buildup to this game. The Italian is a friend of Guardiola’s, and according to Guardiola, he is one of the 20-year period’s most influential managers. Guardiola outplayed De Zerbi tactically in this match.
James Milner and Solly March, two midfielders, were positioned at fullback for Brighton, who were set up to attack and got the game underway with an expansive 4-3-3 formation. They may have hoped that Jack Grealish would start on the wing to involve Milner more in midfield, but Doku was outstanding in Grealish’s place and pinned Milner back. On the other side, March received a soft booking for a foul on Foden.
Doku set up City’s first goal by leaving Milner for dead and gliding past Pascal Gross, and Brighton’s poor turnover of possession allowed Haaland to score City’s second goal, leaving the two center-backs exposed. Guardiola picked off Brighton’s experimental formation with ruthless efficiency in the first half, preventing them from playing the end-to-end game they had planned. The damage was done in the first 45 minutes, despite Brighton’s changes that threatened the outcome after the break.
A new record was set.
The gap between City’s victories in the Premier League was longer than the Blues are accustomed to under Guardiola, lasting 30 days between their victories over Forest and Brighton. In fact, this would have been only the second time in his managerial career that City had dropped three straight league games and the first time under the manager. He not only avoided that undesirable record, but also created a brand-new Premier League record in the process.
With their victory over Brighton, City won their 21st straight home game in all competitions, completing an undefeated season at the Etihad Stadium. That was more than Manchester United’s record run of 20 set in 2010–2011. City holds a lot of Premier League records, and they currently hold the record for the most consecutive home victories by a Premier League club in all competitions.
The Blues will now play Young Boys in the Champions League, where they can make a significant step towards advancing from their group and prepare for their away derby against United the following weekend. Their home performance is undeniable, and if they can improve their away performance (three consecutive losses on the road), they will be in position to win additional trophies this year.
