Brighton 2-1 Manchester City: Mesmerising second-half performance inflicts fourth straight defeat on Pep Guardiola for first time in his career as City crisis deepens

Habits are only truly noticeable when they are broken. That goes for winning and in this case, what goes behind that.

A creature who indulges in routine more than most, Pep Guardiola definitely has his comforts.

Things like the lucky jumpers, natty or knitted and stuck with regardless during those never-ending winning runs for which his time at Manchester City will be remembered.

Or the red wine afterwards. Or the time spent sat in his dugout an hour before the bedlam begins, often vacantly staring straight ahead. That’s the really big one, the constant. Zoning out, clearing his mind. Maybe thinking about any final words.

For eight-and-a-half years Guardiola has done that. Almost always the end seat in the technical area. Left alone, just him and his thoughts. It’s the way it always was, always the way it’s been.

A João Pedro finish equalised things for Fabian Hurzeler’s men after some chaos in the box

The defeat inflicted a fourth straight defeat on Pep Guardiola for the first time in his career

Any deviation from that might provoke some intrigue and when he bounced off Brighton’s padded chair and made his way towards the grass, something felt a little bit different. Right on the touchline, he stood next to his closest ally at the club in what was an animated exchange of views.

They waved arms, they smirked, they debated. Eventually he would retain a gaze on the squad warming up, which was also highly irregular. Was he watching for reactions? A tempo? Body language? Having the main guy standing over there will not have bypassed eyes of those in the rondos. Maybe just worth trying anything at the moment.

Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. Guardiola left here having lost four consecutive matches for the first time in one of the most illustrious careers ever seen.

Unusual but then these are unusual times at City. Guardiola has become increasingly terse in public, sending vague messages to his senior players about working through pain and then sarcastically taking aim at Lee Carsley for England’s handling of Jack Grealish.

Grealish wasn’t here, deemed unfit. But is going on international duty, at least to say hello at St George’s Park. Go figure. Five others weren’t here either and at least two on the bench – Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake – always appeared unlikely to feature due to fitness.

Teenager Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was at centre half, with Kyle Walker’s head seemingly elsewhere in a spell after half time when Brighton’s press and ingenious use of space outwitted the champions via Joao Pedro and Matt O’Reilly.

City were great for half an hour. Average in the middle third. Defensively shot in the last 30 minutes. The two-week break is a true blessing for them now.

City had some encouraging dare in midfield. Less safe, a willingness to show Brighton the ball a touch longer. Come and get it; more cat and mouse. It’s higher risk but once the mouse is free it’ll find the tiniest crack a shut door to squeeze through.

Erling Haaland gave City a lead in the first-half with a trademark run which broke the lines

Matt O’Riley produced the most composed of finishes to still a spectacular Seagulls victory

Yasin Ayari, the young Sweden international in his real breakthrough season here, was too loose on just the single occasion and for Mateo Kovacic, that was enough.

Kovacic nipped in to intercept, purposefully progressing through wide open space and locating that little alley of light between central defenders. 

The weight of the pass appeared light yet Erling Haaland had enough to work with, charging across Jan Paul van Hecke to create an angle. Bart Verbruggen slowed the shot’s journey towards goal but could not stop Haaland advancing beyond him to bundle in.

City had come to play, dominating that opening 25 minutes. Savinho wasted two favourable positions to pick a man out from wide, then failing to slide beyond Verbruggen when slipped clear by Kovacic again. 

Immediately following his opener, Haaland was heading over at the near post from a corner and rattling a clean right-footed shot onto the post via Brighton’s goalkeeper.

If there was any debate as to whether City should have been well clear at Sporting on Tuesday night, before the alarming capitulation, then there were none this time.

Brighton, unbeaten at home in the Premier League, were quickly forced into reverting to a back five, with winger Simon Adingra offering Joel Veltman additional protection to nullify the away plan of isolating the right back. 

That idea, clearly drummed into the players by Guardiola beforehand, was not always being followed and the manager’s frustration was often evident. At least three of his players were shot quizzical looks for playing inside rather than out to left winger Matheus Nunes.

Fabian Hurzeler had hit upon something when reverting to a back five because, once Brighton acclimatised to the idea, they began damaging their visitors in a way that was expected heading into a booby trap of a fixture for Guardiola.

Pedro dropped into space just outside the box, seeing fellow substitute O’Reilly galloping forward unchecked

Hurzeler was saying that he doesn’t want them to be recognised as a smaller club punching up and to do that, he says results in these matches need to arrive. Arrive it did, eventually. Josko Gvardiol’s heroic block stopped Danny Welbeck from pulling them level but there was still more than enough time for that.

Ederson smothered Mitoma when clear and stopped Jack Hinshelwood’s free header. Brighton continued to creep. Pedro raced past a sleeping Walker only to skew wide. Walker’s demise was transmitting to others and Brighton, sensing that one might turn into two if they could equalise, were on it as City wobbled.

Parity came with 12 minutes remaining, a scramble – the ball stuck under feet in a state of defensive panic – leading to Pedro taking ownership and stabbing past a helpless Ederson.

Like in Portugal, a fragility and nervousness consumed City. Panic, a lack of assured thinkers. 

Pedro dropped into space just outside the box, seeing fellow substitute O’Reilly galloping forward unchecked and Ederson was soon fishing that dink from his net. Guardiola’s eyes widened as he headed for the solace of that end seat in the away dugout. Old habits.