Rodri broke a record for his first start after recovering from injury. Does Guardiola still have a life-saving straw?

In the seven seasons before last season, Manchester City won six Premier League titles. However, their performance plummeted last season. Since Guardiola took office, the "Blue Moon" has been empty for the second time.

There are some external reasons, such as the 115 charges faced by the club, such as speculation about Guardiola's future, and the injury of midfielder Rodri.

After spending about £330 million in two consecutive transfer windows, Manchester City is expected to return with a new and vibrant state and prepare to regain the Premier League title.

However, it turns out that fans of "Blue Moon" may be too optimistic.

In fact, after losing to Brighton 1:2, Manchester City has set the worst start in the Premier League since the 2004-05 season. After reducing the Premier League from 22 to 20, no team has been able to become the final champion in the first three rounds with two losses.

So, with Ballon d'Or winner Rodri recovering from injury and Haaland's form has also returned. Is Manchester City still a strong contender for the Premier League championship?

"We Forgot How to Play"

Guardiola's best team is based on absolute control of the ball and leading the offense through passing.

When Manchester City beat Wolves 4-0 in the season opener, it was natural that the trouble that plagued them last season had disappeared in the summer.

But they lost 0:2 to Tottenham, which was barely relegated last season, in the second round, and the loss of this round was a repeat of the unstable performance last season.

Guardiola's team suppressed the opponent in the first half, and Brighton only created an opportunity by Sansatsu.

Haaland scored his 88th goal in his 100th Premier League match against Manchester City.

But one hour after the game, four substitutions from Brighton coach Sulceler changed the situation, with James Milner, Brayan Gruda, Georgeneo Rutt and Yasin Ayari coming on the bench.

Since then, Brighton has dominated, Milner equalized with a penalty kick, and Gruda scored a winning goal in the last minute of the game.

"We conceded two goals. But we performed very well an hour before the game," Guardiola said after the game. "After the goal, we forgot the game itself, we were just thinking about the results."

"I like a lot of things we did, like the game against Tottenham Hotspur, we started well. I like a lot of things the team did here today, but we didn't win. When we lost the ball, we stopped the game."

"It's just a game, the season has just begun. There's still a long way ahead, let's wait and see."

In Premier League history, only Manchester United in the 1992-93 season finally won the championship after losing two of the first three league games, but that season still has 22 teams in the Premier League, and they have to play 42 rounds throughout the season, four more rounds than they are now.

"Manchester City is going to start over again," said former Chelsea and Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. "There are still many questions about this team and Guardiola. Can he turn the situation around? He has never experienced such a situation, and it is getting worse."

Rodri "needs to return to his best form"

Nothing has had a greater impact on City's record last season than Rodri's absence.

The Spanish player was named the World's Best Player at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards ceremony, but missed a full season of the match in September last year due to a knee cruciate ligament injury.

The former Atletico Madrid midfielder has long been the decisive figure at Manchester City.

In fact, with Rodri starting, Manchester City's last loss in the Premier League dates back to February 2023, when they lost 0:1 to Tottenham Hotspur. The loss to Brighton ended Rodri's record of 49 unbeaten in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old remains Manchester City's most important player, but it is unfair to expect him to return to his former level immediately after being out of the game for nearly a year due to injury.

"I'm not Messi. I won't be able to win, win, win once I come back," Rodri said. "The team is a collective. When we won, I needed the help of all my teammates. Of course I need to get back to my best, but we have to rely on the strength of the team, which is a collective sport. I hope we can perform better after the offseason."

Rodri started in the Premier League for the first time since his knee injury 11 months ago, and emphasized that his return alone is not enough to regain Manchester City's former strength.

He added: "Some of the mistakes we make are mistakes that kids will make, that is, not focusing."

"The reality is that if we want to compete for a championship, we have to improve our level."

"We haven't reached this level in a long, long time."

The problem that Manchester City urgently needs to solve in recent weeks

Lack of possession is the root cause of the troubles that have caused Manchester City to be in trouble.

Losing to Tottenham and Brighton highlights a new mode, which may be one of the reasons for the poor start of the season in Manchester City. When the opponent starts to organize the offense from the goalkeeper, Manchester City will press on a high position. This tactic of high-pressing requires full-backs to cover a larger range, which gives the opponent a chance to take advantage of Manchester City's wide defense.

Tottenham's first goal and Brighton's second goal were both transferred to the opponent's wing defender. Manchester City's offensive players were unable to press them. The opponent's wing defender could turn around and face forward and then pass the ball directly to the winger's feet.

An opponent's winger will retreat very deeply, thus leading out of Manchester City's full-back. Aker was brought out against Tottenham, and Rico Lewis was brought out against Bright..

Therefore, there are only three players left on Manchester City's defense line, and all three players have to move to one side to fill the gap left by the fullback after being taken out.

A central defender at Manchester City had to defend in unfamiliar wing areas, which made them more likely to be a hole in the opponent's breakthrough when defending one-on-one.

The opponent's players can then run into the open space between the three scattered defensive players.

The opponents in the last two games have adopted this targeted tactic, which should attract the attention of Guardiola and his players. It is time for them to think about how to solve this problem in the future.

Haland Recovery

On September 14, Manchester City will usher in a derby battle with Manchester United.

Considering the pressure Ruben Amorin faced at the beginning of this season, almost no one expected this game to become a life-and-death battle that both sides felt "pressured".

If Manchester City's performance at the start of the season still gives people a glimmer of hope, it is that Haaland seems to be back in his best form.

Although Haaland scored 22 goals in 31 league games last season, his data has declined significantly compared to the previous season, not to mention that compared with the 2022-23 season he just joined, he scored 36 goals in the Premier League that season, winning the Golden Boot while breaking the Premier League single-season goal record.

After three rounds of this season, the 25-year-old Norwegian striker has scored 3 goals.

After losing to Brighton, Guardiola confirmed that midfielder Cherki will be out for two months due to injury, which will only increase the pressure on Haaland's shoulders.

But if Manchester City can continue to keep him on the scoring momentum and strengthen the backline, they still have the chance to have a place in the championship battle.