Brighton secured a historic 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, handing Enzo Maresca’s side their second consecutive Premier League defeat and boosting their hopes of challenging for the title.
Yasin Ayari scored the decisive goal in the first half after a defensive error by Matheus Nunes gifted Brighton an opportunity to take the lead.
The midfielder capitalised on the mistake to put the visitors ahead in a match that eventually ended City’s unbeaten home record against the Seagulls.
The defeat marked the first time Maresca had suffered back-to-back losses in the Premier League since taking charge of City.
His side had also lost to Aston Villa the previous weekend, making it their first successive league defeats since August 2025.
Brighton, who were eliminated from the Carabao Cup at the Etihad four days earlier, produced an impressive defensive performance to protect their advantage despite sustained pressure from the hosts after the break.
City pushed hard for an equaliser, with Iliman Ndiaye hitting the crossbar, while Erling Haaland came close from a corner.
Nunes also tested Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who produced an outstanding performance, making seven saves to deny the hosts.
Nico O’Reilly later headed narrowly wide as City continued searching for a breakthrough, while Jack Hinshelwood missed an opportunity to extend Brighton’s lead at the other end.
The victory was Brighton’s first-ever win at the Etihad Stadium and lifted them to third place in the Premier League standings.
The Seagulls also recorded their highest points tally at this stage of a top-flight season, moving within two points of both Manchester City and leaders Arsenal.
