âRodri SLAMS Manchester City After SHOCK Brighton Loss â âWeâre NOT at the Level!â Brutal Reality Check After Schoolboy Errors and Dressing Room Wake-Up Callâ
Manchester City midfielder Rodri did not hold back in his assessment following their 2-1 defeat at Brighton, calling out âschoolboy mistakesâ and admitting the team is far from where they need to be.
The Ballon dâOr winner, making his first Premier League start in nearly a year, was brutally honest about Cityâs shortcomings, saying their current form is not good enough to compete for major titles.
City had dominated for an hour, taking a deserved first-half lead through Erling Haaland while Brighton barely created a threat.
But after Guardiolaâs side surrendered momentum, the hosts struck back. James Milner equalized from the penalty spot after Matheus Nunesâ handball, and Brajan Gruda netted a late winner to seal Cityâs second loss in three games.
Rodri dismissed concerns about their early-season record but voiced deeper worries about the performances. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:
âTo be honest, I donât care what people say.
We just have to work hard and focus on ourselves. Weâre Manchester City â we come to win, but this is the reality: weâre not at the level and havenât been for a long time.â
He highlighted the need for collective improvement, citing a lack of concentration and costly mistakes:
âWe started well, but then dropped in the second half. Two big mistakes, two goals â these are kid mistakes. If we want to compete, we need to raise the level.â
Rodri acknowledged that changes in the squad and new player integration make things harder, but warned that such excuses wonât cut it:
âThis is not the way to achieve things. We need to reset during the break and come back stronger.â
Despite controlling much of the game, Cityâs lapses proved fatal, leaving Guardiola with serious questions and Rodri sounding the alarm about the championsâ standards.