Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has warned that Brighton will pose another serious challenge when both sides meet in the Premier League on Saturday, following their dramatic League Cup encounter.
City secured a place in the quarter-finals of the competition on Wednesday after defeating Brighton on penalties following a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
The Premier League sides will meet again at the same venue, with both managers expected to recall their first-choice players after making 16 changes between them during the cup tie.
City currently share the top spot with defending champions Arsenal on points, while Brighton sit third, just five points behind the leading pair.
“They (Brighton) are in a brilliant moment,” said Maresca. “They are winning games, they are scoring goals. They are scoring many goals every game, three, four, five goals a game.
“I’ve watched all their Premier League games since we started, and since the first day –- against Arsenal, (Crystal) Palace, Liverpool, they always go front foot, man to man.
“We knew that this was a tough game and they’re going to be exactly the same on Saturday,” added Maresca.
Brighton took the lead in the 30th minute when Malick Yalcouye turned Georginio Rutter’s effort past Manchester City goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli from close range.
Mateo Kovacic restored parity for the hosts 20 minutes later, curling an impressive long-range effort into the far corner from 25 yards.
Rutter put Brighton back in front two minutes after the restart, finishing Jaouen Hadjam’s cut-back before City fought back again.
Vitor Reis eventually levelled the contest in the 72nd minute when he deflected Rayan Cherki’s free-kick into the net.
Kovacic failed to convert his penalty during the shoot-out, with Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele making the save.
However, Rulli proved decisive for City by stopping attempts from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk to secure his side’s passage into the last eight.
City’s campaign has also been overshadowed by a ruling last month that found the club guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial regulations.
The club has appealed the decision and denied wrongdoing, while the prospect of sanctions remains unresolved.
Despite the controversy, Maresca said his attention remained on football matters.
City have been drawn against third-tier Bradford City in the League Cup quarter-finals.
“It’s a different competition but the ambition has to be the same,” said Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola after the Spaniard left the club at the end of last season following a decade at the Etihad.
“This is a new project with new players, a new manager. It started three months ago.
“We need to do our business. That is winning games and, at the moment, we are doing that.”
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said his players would remain in northwest England between the two fixtures rather than return to the south coast.
“Having two away games and not sleeping in your own bed, you can’t see it as an advantage but we will try to make the best of it,” said Hurzeler. “We will not try to find any excuses.
He added, “We’ll come back with full energy, full enthusiasm and we go on Saturday.”
