Manchester City’s poor start to the new Premier League campaign has raised eyebrows across England. Two defeats in their first three matches have left Pep Guardiola searching for answers, and even the return of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri has not stopped the slide. After City’s 2-1 loss to Brighton, the Spain international offered a sobering reality check — one that included a striking four-word reference to Lionel Messi.
The reigning champions entered the weekend under pressure after a frustrating loss to Tottenham in the previous round. Against Brighton, City looked to bounce back and began on the front foot, with Erling Haaland marking his 100th Premier League appearance with his 88th goal in the competition.
For a while, it seemed City had regained control, limiting the Seagulls’ first-half opportunities. But the second half unraveled quickly. Veteran midfielder James Milner equalized from the penalty spot in the 67th minute, dedicating the goal to his late former teammate Diogo Jota. Moments later, 21-year-old Brajan Gruda stunned the champions with a late winner, sealing three points for the Seagulls.
The defeat means that the Citizens have now endured their worst league start since 2004-05, a worrying omen for Guardiola as no team in a 38-game season has ever recovered from such a position to win the title.
Rodri’s return: Not the fix fans hoped for
Rodri’s presence was supposed to stabilize City. The midfielder, who suffered a serious ACL injury last season, made his first Premier League start in 11 months at the Amex Stadium. His record before Sunday was astonishing: City had not lost a league game with him starting since February 2023, a run of 49 matches.
But Brighton ended that streak. Despite his return, the Citizens looked just as vulnerable, committing errors the 29-year-old midfielder himself later called ‘schoolboy mistakes’. “Some of the mistakes we are doing are kids’ mistakes; you are not concentrating and paying attention,” he told Sky Sports. “The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete. We are not at the level for a long, long time.”
What truly caught attention, however, was Rodri’s candid admission when asked about his return. The midfielder stressed that while his comeback was significant, he could not single-handedly transform City’s fortunes:
“I’m not Lionel Messi. I’m not going to come back and just make the team win and win and win,” Rodri said. “This is a collective. When we won in the past, I needed all my teammates. For sure I need to recover my best level, but it’s not because I’m back we’re going to win. Hopefully after the break we can be much better.”
Those four words — “I’m not Lionel Messi” — underlined the Spaniard’s humility and his insistence on the team dynamic. Unlike Messi, whose presence often altered entire matches, Rodri argued that his influence depends heavily on the collective strength of his teammates.
