Yasin Ayari scored in the 11th minute. Bart Verbruggen made seven saves. By full time, Manchester City had lost at home to Brighton for the first time in their history, and the Premier League table had a new story at the top.
Brighton’s 1-0 win at the Etihad on Saturday takes Hurzeler’s team to third on 19 points from nine matches, two behind leaders Manchester City, with Enzo Maresca’s side suffering their second consecutive league defeat. BBC Sport has since asked the question most of the English game is now circling: whether Brighton can seriously push City and Arsenal for the title.
The data case for Brighton
The numbers do not look like a surprise package.
Brighton have won five of their last six Premier League matches and kept a clean sheet in all five victories. In September, they thrashed the reigning champions 3-0 at home, with Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres ending Arsenal’s 100 percent start to their title defense.
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By the end of October, only three teams in Premier League history had scored more goals than Brighton after seven games: Arsenal in 2009-10, Manchester United in 2011-12, and Manchester City in 2019-20. Those goals have come from 11 different players, which means they do not live or die with a single striker.
Smart money against big money
The gap in resources is still enormous. Brighton’s starting XI at the Etihad cost roughly £160m. City’s cost around £750m, with a midfield three worth about £326m outplayed by an Ayari signed for £3.5m. Brighton’s model, selling Carlos Baleba to Manchester United for £70m and reinvesting through recruitment, keeps producing.
Club-record signing Luka Vuskovic, £50m from Tottenham, has slotted into a back line marshaled by 34-year-old captain Lewis Dunk. The absences of Kaoru Mitoma, Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer have not stopped the run.
What still argues against them
Arsenal and Manchester City remain the bookmakers’ favorites for a reason. Mikel Arteta, who signed a new contract to 2030 earlier this month on the back of ending Arsenal’s 22-year title drought last season, has a squad built for a defense of the trophy. City, pending appeal, sit top with the Premier League’s record goalscorer still in their shirt.
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Brighton are also in the Conference League, where they are the bookmakers’ favorites, and the fixture pile is only going to grow. Nine games is not a season.
The managers’ lines
Hurzeler was characteristically understated after the win at the Etihad.
“We had to stick together. Defense wins you tight games. We had a defensive mindset,” he said.
Maresca was blunt about where City are losing points.
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“We created enough to get some points but we didn’t score. We are conceding silly goals; we can avoid that,” the Italian said.
Brighton’s next Premier League test is at the Amex against Brentford on Sunday, 8 November.
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