Josep Guardiola, Manchester City’s coach, showed no frustration after his team’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday in the third round of the English Premier League.

Guardiola said after the match: “The scenario of the game really changed after we conceded the equalizer, because our level was excellent before that goal, and we had many chances against a fast attacking team.”

He added: “We performed well in the first hour of the match, while the performance was not good in the last half hour. We forgot how to pass the ball and relied too much on long balls.”

The Spanish coach defended Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, saying: “Yes, he missed several chances, but he was not the only one. Our style depends on creating chances, and overall we played well in the first hour. What happened was similar to the previous match against Tottenham.”

He continued: “We must keep working. Losing is possible, conceding goals in the Premier League is not impossible, whether through short passes or otherwise.”

He explained: “I did not watch the penalty awarded against Matheus Nunes, but since no one objected, it seems correct.”

Regarding what Rodri, the team’s star and captain, said about Manchester City’s performance not reaching the required level, the Spanish coach commented: “Our team is very good, we are changing many things, which is normal as new players need to adapt and will find help from the veterans.”

He added: “Manchester City players are wonderful, and Rodri performed excellently. He is a great personality, and I am happy he played a full match. I hope he gets minutes with the Spanish national team so we can start the season anew.”

Guardiola concluded: “I admire many things we do on the pitch, but we are not able to win matches yet. After the international break, we will come back strong and try to compete.”