The match between "Manchester City" and "Brighton" held as part of the 29th round of the English Premier League was tough for Uzbekistan national team central defender Abduqodir Husanov. The match ended in a 2:2 draw, but Husanov's own goal eliminated the hosts' chances of victory.
Husanov's own goal and its consequences
At the beginning of the second half, while trying to clear an opponent's shot, the ball hit Husanov's foot and went into the net, leveling the score. This own goal dashed "Manchester City's" hopes of victory, as they had been ahead twice and played at a high level, yet this mistake prevented them from achieving a win.
Gundogan and Guardiola's comments
After the match, one of "Manchester City's" most experienced players, Ilkay Gundogan, provided a detailed assessment of the situation. According to him, despite the team taking the lead twice, conceding the second goal caused a loss of confidence. Gundogan stated, "We had problems controlling the ball."
- Personally, I was very disappointed with the result. We went ahead twice and were playing very well. Not being able to secure three points in such a game is a bit frustrating. I think we limited them in controlling the ball,
After conceding the second goal at the beginning of the second half, we lost our confidence. Mistakes happen even at such a high level, - said Ilkay Gundogan, one of "Manchester City's" most experienced players.
"Manchester City" coach Josep Guardiola found it appropriate to support Abduqodir Husanov. The Spanish specialist emphasized that despite this result, the fight in the championship will continue until the last moment. "There will be nine games, nine finals," said Guardiola. These words indicate that the team is trying to improve its mood for future games.
- There will be nine games, nine finals. The fight seems to continue until the last day. This match resembled the game against “Nottingham Forest.” Luckily, we didn’t lose.
We have very tough games ahead. The next match in the championship will be against “Leicester” at home. Then we will go to “Old Trafford.” Before that, there is an important match against “Bournemouth” in the FA Cup.
This game went much better than the match against “Nottingham Forest.” We were able to create comfortable situations. Besides the two goals, Savino could have scored.
Jeremy Doku posed a great threat to the opponent, and Umar Marmush was involved in both of our goals. Ruben Dias and Abduqodir Husanov played fantastically well. Overall, everything went well.
At the beginning of the second half, we were ahead 2:1, but we made a mistake at a corner, and as a result, they equalized. We lacked stability, but that’s natural. Then we returned to the game and had good situations again. We take responsibility for fighting until the end, - said Josep Guardiola in an interview with the “Manchester City” website.
Upcoming matches and Husanov's international duties
"Manchester City's" next match will be against "Bournemouth" in the FA Cup on March 30. Before that, Abduqodir Husanov and several other players will join their national teams for international matches due to FIFA days.
March is significant for Husanov, as the Uzbekistan national team will play important matches against Kyrgyzstan and Iran in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament. These competitions could signal new victories for Husanov.
Although Abduqodir Husanov's own goal had serious consequences for "Manchester City," the fight continues for the team. Guardiola and Gundogan's concerns undoubtedly have intensified their motivation for future games, while Husanov continues to play an important role for his national team and maintain his international aspirations.
