Guardiola confident City will have a good season after mixed start

Pep Guardiola said on Monday he remains confident Manchester City will have a "good season" despite a mixed start that left them with one win and two defeats from their opening three Premier League matches, including a 2-1 loss at Brighton on Sunday. The City manager spoke ahead of Sunday’s trip to Brighton, seeking to downplay concerns after a campaign that has so far combined a 4-0 opening victory over Wolves with home defeats by Tottenham and Brighton, and inconsistent results at the Club World Cup.

City took an early lead at the Amex Stadium through Erling Haaland, marking his 100th Premier League appearance with his 88th goal, but Brighton came back with a James Milner penalty and a stoppage-time winner from Brajan Gruda. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler hailed Gruda’s potential and praised Milner’s mentality after the veteran’s late leveller, saying the latter’s mentality is "something special" and that Gruda can be a gamechanger if he proves himself consistently.

Guardiola acknowledged his present squad is not at the level of some of his great City sides but said he has seen enough in pre-season, the Club World Cup and the opening fixtures to be optimistic. "That...