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According to a report by BBC Sport on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Brighton claimed an impressive 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, handing the hosts a disappointing defeat in their latest Premier League fixture.
Yasin Ayari scored the only goal of the encounter in the 11th minute after Brighton capitalised on City's defensive weakness with a well-organised attacking move.
The visitors made an early impact and took the lead when Maxim De Cuyper chose not to shoot from a promising position, instead passing the ball to Ayari. The midfielder remained composed and sent a precise effort into the bottom-right corner, leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma with little chance of making a save.
Manchester City immediately pushed for an equaliser and created several opportunities. Iliman Ndiaye came close in the 22nd minute after connecting with Elliot Anderson's lofted delivery, but his header narrowly missed the target. Three minutes later, Ndiaye tested Bart Verbruggen again, but the Brighton goalkeeper made an important save.
Erling Haaland struggled to find space against Brighton's well-organised defence, with one of his attempts blocked inside the penalty area. Josko Gvardiol also failed to convert an opportunity from a corner as City's attacking pressure produced no equaliser before half-time.
Brighton remained a threat after the restart, with De Cuyper missing a promising chance before forcing Donnarumma into a save with a header in the 54th minute. However, Manchester City gradually increased their attacking pressure as they searched for a way back into the game.
Verbruggen played a crucial role in preserving Brighton's advantage. He produced an excellent save to deny Ndiaye in the 52nd minute, with the ball hitting the post afterwards. The goalkeeper also stopped efforts from Matheus Nunes and Haaland during another dangerous attacking move.
City brought on Rayan Cherki, Nico O'Reilly and Phil Foden in an attempt to find an equaliser, but Brighton continued to withstand the pressure. Abdukodir Khusanov and O'Reilly both came close to scoring in the closing stages, but Verbruggen remained alert to keep the visitors in front.
Despite five minutes of added time, Manchester City failed to break through Brighton's defence. Referee Craig Pawson eventually brought the match to an end, confirming a valuable away victory for Brighton.