Brighton & Hove Albion produced a memorable performance as Brighton beat Man City 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium, securing their first-ever away victory against the Premier League champions thanks to Yasin Ayari’s first-half goal.
The two sides had already faced each other in the Carabao Cup during the week, meaning there was little time for either team to settle into the contest. Brighton started brightly and showed impressive attacking intent from the opening stages.
Their positive approach paid off after just 11 minutes. Diego Gomez delivered a cross that Maxim De Cuyper managed to keep alive, allowing Ayari to arrive at the right moment and prod the ball home.
Ayari Gives Brighton an Early Lead
Manchester City responded quickly and looked for a way back into the match. Iliman Ndiaye had an excellent opportunity around 10 minutes after Brighton opened the scoring, finding himself unmarked inside the visitors’ penalty area, but his header drifted inches wide.
Ndiaye threatened again soon afterwards following one of his trademark dribbles. He worked his way between two Brighton defenders before firing straight at goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
City continued to increase the pressure, with Jeremy Doku causing problems on the wing. The Belgian’s excellent work created an opportunity for Erling Haaland, but Brighton captain Lewis Dunk produced a crucial block to deny the Norwegian what looked like a certain goal.
Dunk came to Brighton’s rescue again before half-time, making another important block to stop Haaland as the City striker grew increasingly frustrated.
Brighton Defence Holds Firm
The visitors almost doubled their advantage within five minutes of the restart. Ayari turned provider after setting up De Cuyper, who found himself unmarked at the far post but fired wildly over the crossbar.
Enzo Maresca then turned to his bench, introducing Rayan Cherki in an attempt to change the course of the game. The substitute nearly made an immediate impact when he found Enzo Fernandez inside the penalty area, but the Argentine dragged his left-footed effort narrowly wide.
City continued searching for an equaliser, and Matheus Nunes eventually tested Verbruggen with an effort on target. However, the Brighton goalkeeper produced a fine save to protect his side’s narrow advantage.
Maresca made another attacking change late in the match, bringing Phil Foden on for Josko Gvardiol as the hosts committed more players forward.
Despite their efforts and the increasing number of balls sent into the Brighton penalty area, City could not find the breakthrough they needed.Brighton held firm until the final whistle to complete a historic 1-0 victory. Brighton beat Man City for a first-ever away win against them, with Ayari’s decisive first-half goal proving enough at the Etihad Stadium.
The defeat also marked City’s first Premier League loss in a Saturday 3pm kick-off since October 2021, while Brighton’s latest three points continued what has been their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign.