Chris Sutton believes that a key summer transfer decision by Manchester City is now haunting them, as they endured a fourth consecutive defeat, this time against Brighton.
Over the last decade, City have rarely faced extended setbacks on the pitch, but they now find themselves in unusual territory. Despite starting strongly, with Erling Haaland opening the scoring, Pep Guardiola‘s side once again let a lead slip. Much like their Champions League loss in Lisbon, City couldn’t secure a decisive lead and eventually crumbled, conceding twice in the second half.
Brighton’s Joao Pedro seized on frantic defending to equalize, and Matt O’Riley found the winner, breaking through City’s defense with ease.
While City’s injury list is extensive, Sutton believes that the summer sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid has left a void in the team, worsening their current struggles.
Speaking on BBC 606 after the game, Sutton remarked, “Talking about fatigue amongst his team, Pep only used two subs, bringing De Bruyne and Silva on with 15, 20 minutes to go. And Julian Alvarez… played 30+ games last season for City. Was that a mistake letting him go? I am not sure Pep would admit it, but it looks to me like it was a mistake.”
While some might argue it’s difficult to label Alvarez’s record £81.5m transfer as a mistake—especially since the Argentine wanted to leave—City’s decision has left them missing his unique skill set. Alvarez, although not necessarily City’s standout player in any one area, was incredibly versatile. He played across multiple positions, contributed in attack and defense, and consistently stayed fit, making him invaluable.
Alvarez made 103 appearances over two seasons at City without missing a single game due to injury—a level of reliability that City could certainly use amid their current injury issues.
Ultimately, City’s misstep may not have been in selling Alvarez, but rather in failing to find a suitable replacement.
