“We are missing the level. It is a matter of the team and the changes, new players have to adapt, and of course when you change the team that much it is difficult. This is our reality.”
Brighton fans sang “Can we play you every week?” after repeating last season's 2-1 win home over Guardiola's side.
“Unfortunately we have the international break. We'd have liked to have carried on the momentum,” much-travelled ex-City midfielder Milner said.
“I was trying to stay calm [with the penalty]. It's not the easiest thing but I hope my years of experience helped.”
After scoring, Milner copied the video-gamer goal celebration of his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in July. Milner is wearing Portuguese Jota's number 20 on his jersey at Brighton this season.
“Obviously Jots meant so much to everyone. It is an honour to wear his number this season. I have seen him doing [the celebration] and it was probably a bad impression by me.”
Milner became the second-oldest Premier League scorer overall after Teddy Sheringham, who netted for West Ham United against Portsmouth at 40 years, 268 days in 2006.
Reuters