Pep Guardiola was annoyed as Manchester City got off in a Premier League defeat at Brighton – “We forgot to play.”

James Milner’s second half penalty canceled Airland’s 34-minute opener.

However, Guardiola was pleased with his performance on his side before Milner’s equalizer, denying four changes in Fabian Hazeler after an hour of the game influenced his team.

“We were excellent for an hour,” Guardiola told BBC Sports. “After the goal, we forgot to play, we were thinking about the outcome.

“I like a lot of the things we do. We started off well, like with Tottenham. I like what the team did here today, but we couldn’t win. When we acknowledged our goal, we stopped playing.”

He added to Viaplay:

“The second half was the first 15 minutes we played well, but then we forgot to play with our goals.

“Unfortunately, it was a penalty and we forgot to play. We’ll substitute everyone to get better.”

The 10-time league champion heads for the international break in September at the bottom half of the table, with a record faster than local rival Manchester United.

However, Guardiola was willing to be drawn into the story of the crisis in just three matches.

“It’s one game. The season is just beginning. We have a long, long season before us. We’ll see what happens,” he said.

The Manchester Club will meet in Etihad on September 14th.

“He played 90 minutes and I think he can handle a few minutes with the national team.

“It’s true, I have to recover and find the highest level. It’s not because I’m back. It’s a collective sport.

After scoring from the scene on Saturday, Milner imitated Jota’s video game celebrations, saying that after the match he got “help” from “the great man.”

“It was horrifying (what happened to him). He was a great guy and a great teammate. I loved him both,” Milner told BBC Sports.

“I hadn’t scored (in the Premier League) in six years, but I was wearing his number. There’s obviously a great guy’s help.”

The former England International signed a one-year contract extension in the summer and is now away from a 13 Premier League appearance, comparable to Gareth Barry’s 653 record.

And Milner admitted that he thought his time might have ended at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

“I thought last season was my last (due to injuries). It’s good to get it in victory. I’m happy with the boys. In the first two games, I didn’t think we got what we deserved,” Milner said.

“This victory was a real team effort. It was a big move by the manager (making four changes at a time).