Brighton vs Manchester City

Manchester City have lost two of their first three Premier League matches in a season for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign. Only one team has ever lost two of their first three games and recovered to win the title – Man Utd in 1992-93.

Three of the last five Premier League matches Manchester City have lost when scoring first have come at the Amex against Brighton (May 2021, November 2024, August 2025).

Brajan Gruda’s 89th minute winning goal was only the seventh Premier League winning goal against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City scored in the 89th minute or later, and was the latest (88:33) since Amad Diallo’s winner for Man Utd in December 2024 (89:06).

Between 2017-18 and 2023-24, Brighton and Hove Albion only avoided defeat in two of 14 Premier League games against Man City (W1 D1 L12); last season, they didn’t lose against City, winning 2-1 at home and drawing 2-2 at the Etihad.

Manchester City have won 19 out of 30 league matches against Brighton (63.3%) – among the 46 teams they’ve faced 25+ times, the only side they have a higher win ratio against is Swansea City (23 wins in 34 games, 67.6%).

Only three teams have produced a higher xG in their opening two Premier League games this season than Brighton (3.91), although the Seagulls have just one goal so far, the biggest negative differential of any side (-2.91).

Since losing 5-1 at Arsenal in February, Manchester City have conceded just one goal in seven away Premier League matches, keeping five clean sheets in a row. Only four sides have kept six in a row, most recently Arsenal in 2023-24 between February and April. City have never had six consecutive away league clean sheets in their history.

Brighton and Hove Albion are winless in their opening two Premier League games this season (D1 L1) – in only one of the last 15 league seasons have they failed to win their opening three games, doing so in 2017-18 in their first Premier League campaign (D1 L2).