Ayari’s 11th-minute strike gives Brighton a 1-0 win at Manchester City in Premier League
Yasin Ayari’s 11th-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory for Brighton over Manchester City at Manchester City's home in a Premier League match on Saturday. The win ended a long wait for an away triumph over City and closed the gap in the table.
Brighton’s goal stemmed from what appeared to be a wrongly awarded free-kick after Elliot Anderson’s “foul” on Ayari, a decision that sparked the move leading to the finish. Enzo Maresca’s side created numerous chances but failed to convert, while Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton defended effectively to record a rare clean sheet. Brighton sit third and have moved to 19 points, two behind Maresca’s team.
The goal arrived when Lewis Dunk swept the free-kick to Diego Gómez, whose cross caused defensive confusion; Matheus Nunes missed a clearance, the ball came back in via Maxim De Cuyper and Ayari rounded off into an empty net with Gianluigi Donnarumma stranded. The strike, described in the report as the 11th-minute winner, followed the initial dead-ball delivery that set the sequence in motion.
City continued to press after falling behind, producing high-quality passages of play led by Ayyoub Bouaddi’s quick feet and Enzo Fernández’s no-look pass to Jérémy Doku. Several promising moments went begging, including a late second-half move when substitute Nico O’Reilly played across goal and Iliman Ndiaye shot wide. Maresca responded by replacing Ndiaye and Josko Gvardiol with Phil Foden and Allan Elias as he sought an equaliser.
Iliman Ndiaye produced a notable solo run that was kept out by Bart Verbruggen and a Doku charge caused problems down Brighton’s right, while Erling Haaland, Gvardiol and Fernández all had opportunities that did not result in a goal. A 50-yard diagonal from Anderson to Doku and other quick combinations underlined City’s attacking intent, but finishing proved the limiting factor.
There were two VAR-area incidents where City appeals were rejected: a loud claim for a penalty when Luka Vuskovic was judged not to have handled the ball and another when Ndiaye’s cross appeared to strike Lewis Dunk’s arm but no infringement was given. Maresca’s selection included the line he had referenced about City (currently) being “Gio plus 10” as Donnarumma started, with Marc Guéhi and Rayan Cherki dropped from the side that lost at Aston Villa and Matheus Nunes and Bouaddi named instead.
Brighton have now won five of their last six Premier League matches, keeping a clean sheet in each of those five victories and registering the most clean sheets (6) in the competition this season. Manchester City failed to score at home in the Premier League for the first time in 23 games, since a 2-0 defeat to Spurs in August 2025, and had 21 shots— their most attempts without a home Premier League goal since November 2024 (23 against Spurs).
Hürzeler’s side move to 19 points, two behind Maresca’s team: expect both to remain high up throughout.
