Rodri slams Manchester City teammates for making “kids mistakes” during Brighton defeat | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has slammed some of his teammates for making “kids mistakes” during their 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Sunday.

It was another damaging afternoon for Pep Guardiola’s side, who fell to back-to-back Premier League defeats following last weekend’s 0-2 loss at home to Tottenham.

Despite Erling Haaland marking his 100th Premier League appearance with his 88th goal to put Manchester City ahead in the first half, defensive errors and lapses in concentration ultimately saw the Etihad side leave the south coast empty-handed.

The turning point came just after the hour mark when Matheus Nunes handled inside the box, gifting James Milner the chance to score from the penalty spot against his former club, with the 39-year-old grabbing the equaliser to galvanise the hosts.

Substitute Brajan Gruda then sealed the comeback late on, capitalising on another moment of hesitation in Manchester City’s backline to secure Brighton’s first league win of the season.

For Pep Guardiola’s men, the defeat leaves them with just three points from their opening three fixtures – a start that raises more questions over their readiness for a sustained title challenge this season.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the contest in his post-match interview, Rodri issued a brutally honest review of the state of affairs at the Etihad Stadium at present, following another calamitous defeat in the Premier League.

“Yes, disappointing because we’re Man City and we come here to win. But this is the reality, we are not at the level for a long, long time. The only way to come back is to look at ourselves,” Rodri admitted.

“That’s the reality. I think we started well but in the second half we dropped a little bit, and here at their home with the pressure and two big mistakes from us and then 2-1,” he continued.

The Spanish international continued, “We’re missing the level, I don’t know, call it what you want. It’s a matter of the team, changes, new players have to adapt and when you change the team that much it is difficult. This is our reality, it’s not excuses.

“We have to look to ourselves and see that this is not the way to achieve things. Let’s go to the international break, clean our minds and come back stronger.”

In a brutally honest admission, Rodri insisted Manchester City are making ‘kids mistakes’ at present, as he went on to say, “I don’t think we had control of the game. I don’t think we were at our best, we didn’t create much. It’s many aspects.

“Today we should win because the two goals we conceded are two mistakes. Some of the mistakes are like kid mistakes. This is football. When we lose it is easy to point at everyone. The reality is we have to raise the level if we want to compete for the Premier League.”

Rodri’s outburst possibly reflects a growing frustration within the squad, revealing that Manchester City’s senior players may be becoming increasingly aware of the standards slipping in their own performances.

Injuries, a summer of transition, and the bedding-in of new signings have left Pep Guardiola’s side searching for consistency at a time when rivals are continuing to hit their own stride and win games early on.

The international break now provides Manchester City with a crucial reset period before the season resumes in mid-September. Pep Guardiola will be hoping his players return sharper and with renewed focus, while pressure will be on newcomers to quickly adapt to the system.

With UEFA Champions League fixtures also looming and the club’s Carabao Cup campaign starting with a trip away to Huddersfield Town in the third round of the competition, the coming weeks may prove decisive in shaping the direction of City’s campaign.