Ayari scores and Verbruggen saves seven as Brighton win at Man City for the first time

Brighton won 1-0 at Manchester City on Saturday, their first league victory there in 17 visits, and closed to two points behind City and Arsenal in third place. Sweden midfielder Yasin Ayari scored after 11 minutes and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made seven saves as City lost two league games in a row for the first time under coach Enzo Maresca.

A City error settles it

The goal came from a City mistake. Right-back Matheus Nunes failed to clear a cross from Brighton's Maxim De Cuyper and the ball dropped for Ayari, who finished from close range. It was his third league goal of the season, scored at the end where he had missed in Wednesday's Carabao Cup shootout, which City won on penalties. Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler had said he wanted revenge for that defeat.

City then did most of the attacking without scoring. Our match data gives them 21 shots to Brighton's seven, and BBC Sport says it was the most they have had at home without scoring since November 2024. Senegal international Iliman Ndiaye headed wide from midfielder Elliot Anderson's cross in the first half and had a second-half drive tipped on to the woodwork by Verbruggen, while striker Erling Haaland, starved of service, finished without a goal. Brighton could have added a second, with De Cuyper blazing over from 10 yards just after the break.

Brighton's run in numbers

Brighton have 19 points from nine games (six wins, one draw, two defeats), which Sky Sports says is a club record for this stage of a top-flight season. Their 24 goals are the most in the division, four more than City's 20, and Sky counts six clean sheets, also the most: Brighton have won five of their last six league games and conceded in none of the five wins. Brighton had already beaten Arsenal earlier this season, according to Sky. Hurzeler credited the defending: "We had to stick together and we had this feeling that defence wins today."

City's problem at the back

Maresca won his first seven league games in charge, but City have now lost twice in a row, for the first time in 14 months according to BBC Sport, and have conceded 10 goals in nine league games, double the five Arsenal have let in. BBC Sport counts an individual error in each defeat: centre-back Marc Guehi and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at Aston Villa, Nunes on Saturday. Maresca dropped Guehi for this game and started summer signings Anderson, Enzo Fernández and Ayyoub Bouaddi together in midfield, with Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden on the bench. "We are conceding silly goals; we can avoid that," he said.

What it changes

| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Man City | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | +10 | 21 | | 2 | Arsenal | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | +8 | 21 | | 3 | Brighton | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | +17 | 19 | | 4 | Chelsea | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | +4 | 16 | | 5 | Liverpool | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | +3 | 15 |

City stay top for now, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference, but Arsenal have played one game fewer and visit Liverpool on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 GMT). A draw would put them on 22 points and a win on 24, three clear of City. Brighton host Brentford on 8 November, the day after City visit Nottingham Forest.