Manchester Metropolis’s poor begin to the brand new Premier League marketing campaign has raised eyebrows throughout England. Two defeats of their first three matches have left Pep Guardiola looking for solutions, and even the return of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri has not stopped the slide. After Metropolis’s 2-1 loss to Brighton, the Spain worldwide provided a sobering actuality verify — one which included a hanging four-word reference to Lionel Messi.
The reigning champions entered the weekend below strain after a irritating loss to Tottenham within the earlier spherical. Towards Brighton, Metropolis seemed to bounce again and commenced on the entrance foot, with Erling Haaland marking his one hundredth Premier League look along with his 88th purpose within the competitors.
For some time, it appeared Metropolis had regained management, limiting the Seagulls’ first-half alternatives. However the second half unraveled rapidly. Veteran midfielder James Milner equalized from the penalty spot within the 67th minute, dedicating the purpose to his late former teammate Diogo Jota. Moments later, 21-year-old Brajan Gruda surprised the champions with a late winner, sealing three factors for the Seagulls.
The defeat signifies that the Residents have now endured their worst league begin since 2004-05, a worrying omen for Guardiola as no staff in a 38-game season has ever recovered from such a place to win the title.
Rodri’s return: Not the repair followers hoped for
Rodri’s presence was alleged to stabilize Metropolis. The midfielder, who suffered a severe ACL harm final season, made his first Premier League begin in 11 months on the Amex Stadium. His document earlier than Sunday was astonishing: Metropolis had not misplaced a league sport with him beginning since February 2023, a run of 49 matches.
However Brighton ended that streak. Regardless of his return, the Residents seemed simply as weak, committing errors the 29-year-old midfielder himself later referred to as ‘schoolboy errors’. “A number of the errors we’re doing are youngsters’ errors; you aren’t concentrating and paying consideration,” he advised Sky Sports activities. “The fact is that we’ve got to boost the extent if we wish to compete. We’re not on the stage for a protracted, very long time.”
What actually caught consideration, nonetheless, was Rodri’s candid admission when requested about his return. The midfielder pressured that whereas his comeback was vital, he couldn’t single-handedly remodel Metropolis’s fortunes:
“I’m not Lionel Messi. I’m not going to return again and simply make the staff win and win and win,” Rodri stated. “This can be a collective. Once we gained up to now, I wanted all my teammates. For positive I have to get well my finest stage, however it’s not as a result of I’m again we’re going to win. Hopefully after the break we will be significantly better.”
These 4 phrases — “I’m not Lionel Messi” — underlined the Spaniard’s humility and his insistence on the staff dynamic. Not like Messi, whose presence typically altered complete matches, Rodri argued that his affect relies upon closely on the collective power of his teammates.
