Ayari strikes early and Brighton hold City off at the Etihad

Craig Pawson refereed. Enzo Maresca set Manchester City out in a four-three-three, with Donnarumma in goal behind Matheus Nunes, Khusanov, Rúben Dias and Gvardiol, Bouaddi, Anderson and Fernández in midfield, and Ndiaye, Haaland and Doku across the front. Fabian Hürzeler picked a four-two-three-one for Brighton: Costinha, Vušković, Dunk and Boscagli at the back, Chema Andrés and Groß as the screening pair, and Gómez, Ayari and De Cuyper behind Kostoulas.

Brighton needed only 11 minutes to go in front. Ayari got the goal and De Cuyper the assist, a combination of two of the three players lined up behind Kostoulas. Chema Andrés was booked in the 20th minute, and nothing else went on the scoresheet before the break, so the visitors took their lead into the dressing room.

De Cuyper was booked in the 49th minute. Maresca made his first change in the 55th, Cherki for Bouaddi, and his second in the 64th, O'Reilly for Fernández. Hürzeler moved in the same minute with a double change of his own, Hadjam for Boscagli and Wieffer for Chema Andrés, which took one booked midfielder off the pitch. In the 72nd he took off another booked player, De Cuyper, for Yalcouyé, and sent on Hinshelwood for Kostoulas.

Maresca's final changes came in the 79th minute. Allan replaced Ndiaye, and Foden came on for Gvardiol, a defender withdrawn with his side still a goal down. Groß was booked in the 81st, and Hürzeler's final change, Rutter for Gómez, followed in the 84th. The score did not move again.

The figures describe a home side that had the ball and the ground to use it on. City held 62 per cent of possession, completed 503 of their 597 passes and sent in 24 crosses to Brighton's seven. They won eight corners to two. Of their 21 shots, six were on target and eight were blocked, against a single blocked attempt from Brighton. Only two of those 21 came from outside the box, so City's attempts came overwhelmingly from inside it.

Brighton's figures sit at the other end of the scale. They made 32 clearances to City's 14, won 15 tackles to 11 and played 61 long balls to City's 50, while completing 280 passes to City's 503. They covered 124.5km to City's 118.7km and committed 13 fouls to nine. The physical contest was tighter than the shot count: aerial duels finished 14 each, and City won 58 duels to Brighton's 48.

Expected goals of 1.92 to 1.00 put City ahead on chances as well as shots, and the scoreboard still went the other way. Brighton had nine touches in City's box all game and one goal to show for them; City had 67 and none. Those 32 clearances are where the two sets of numbers parted company.

This was the second meeting of these clubs within a few days, after a 2-2 draw in the League Cup on 28 October. The other two meetings listed here were in the Premier League: Brighton won 2-1 at home in August 2025, and the sides drew 1-1 at City in January 2026.

In the table as it stood at 17:45 on the day, with this match included, Manchester City were top on 21 points from nine games, level on points with Arsenal, who had played eight. Brighton & Hove Albion were third on 19 points from nine games, with 24 goals scored, the most in the division, and a goal difference of 17.