Check out the best facts and Opta data
from the
Amex Stadium with our Brighton
vs Man
City stats page.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were unbreakable in the
not-too-distant past. Unbeatable, almost.
But these are different times. They are not the team they once
were, and they proved as much once again with a tame, brittle
performance as they threw away a lead late on to fall to defeat at
Brighton.
Even the returning Rodri
could not save them. Making his first Premier League start since
September 2024 (vs Arsenal), City, who were beaten by Tottenham
last week, would have come into this one hoping the Spaniard could
have shored things up for them. Instead, they fell to pieces late
on and his record of 49 consecutive starts in the competition
without defeat (W39 D10) came to an end.
Brighton had offered little for much of this affair, and even
though City were way off their best, they had been comfortable for
large chunks.
The first half was low on quality from either side and decidedly
lacking in chances. Aside from one man.
Brighton had just one shot, from distance, worth 0.04 xG, but
Erling
Haaland had five all on his own. The rest of City’s players had
just two between them.
The Norwegian spent long periods on the periphery of the game
but was still completely integral.
He tested Brighton goalkeeper Bart
Verbruggen early on, before forcing a very good save out of him
with a close-range header, and he struck another couple of efforts
off target. When he opened the scoring in the 34th minute, he did
so with just his sixth touch of the game. Five of those touches had
been shots, and three of them had hit the target.
Making his 100th Premier
League appearance, Haaland’s goal took him to 88 in the
competition – nine more than anyone else had previously managed in
their first 100 games (Alan Shearer is second, with 79).
City appeared in control, but Brighton were handed a lifeline
midway through the second half when they were handed a penalty
after a Matheus
Nunes handball.
By that stage of the game, James Milner, aged 39 years and 239
days, had appeared from the bench. Playing in his 25th Premier
League season, he was typically unerring from the spot as he
levelled the scores.
In doing so, he became the
second-oldest goalscorer in Premier League history, moving
above Dean Windass but unable – yet – to break Teddy Sheringham’s
record.
It was also his first goal for Brighton, meaning he is just the
11th player to score for six different Premier League clubs (Leeds,
Newcastle, Aston Villa, Man City, Liverpool, Brighton), with only
Craig Bellamy (7) scoring for more clubs in the competition.
City were on the ropes, and all of a sudden, Brighton were the
more likely team to win it. And they did, as late on, Brajan
Gruda raced through the heart of the City team to finish.
At the death in their third game, that was Brighton’s first
non-penalty goal of the season. It might just kickstart their
campaign.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the
Brighton vs Man City stats from their Premier League meeting at the
Amex Stadium.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected
goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives
you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats
on the game as well.
Brighton
vs Man City Stats: Post-Match Facts
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.
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).
James Milner is just the 11th player to score for six different
Premier League clubs (Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Man City,
Liverpool, Brighton), with only Craig Bellamy (7) scoring for more
clubs in the competition.
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