Don’t adjust your sets, it’s Brighton at the Etihad again just three days on from our last meeting.
We welcome the Seagulls to our home for a Premier League meeting at 15:00 (UK) on Saturday.
After defeat at Aston Villa last week ended our 100% start to the season, Enzo Maresca’s side will be looking to bounce back in this one.
We remain top of the table with 21 points from eight games, sitting ahead of Arsenal on goal difference.
With the help of Opta data, we review the side we’ll play tomorrow.
Recent form
This game follows hot on the heels of our League Cup clash with Brighton of course.
However, the sides on Saturday are likely to be very different to those that began the 2-2 draw on Wednesday. City made nine changes for that game from last week’s Premier League loss at Aston Villa, while Brighton made seven swaps from their defeat at Liverpool.
Before that game against Liverpool, they had been in fine form though, winning their last four Premier League games against Coventry, Arsenal, Sunderland and Palace.
It all means they go into the weekend third in the Premier League with 16 points from eight games.
Manager
At 33, it’s remarkable to think Fabian Hurzeler has already been a head coach for almost four years.
He took charge at St Pauli in Germany on an interim basis in December 2022 before taking the job permanently.
In 2023/24, he led St Pauli to promotion to the Bundesliga before leaving for Brighton that summer to become the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history.
Since then he’s won 35 of his 84 games in the English top-flight, guiding Brighton to consecutive eighth placed finishes.
Incredibly, that makes him the third longest serving manager in his current role in the division – only behind Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery.
Preferred formation
Brighton almost exclusively start in a 4-2-3-1 system, but their football is so fluid that it can be hard to pin players down to positions.
Bart Verbruggen is the first choice goalkeeper, with Luka Vuskovic and club captain Lewis Dunk the preferred pair at the heart of the defence.
Oliver Boscagli tends to be left-back, with Ferdi Kadioglu on the right.
Pascal Gross, Diego Gomez, Maxim De Cuyper and Yasin Ayari are constants across the five-man midfield, with Chema Andres, Malick Yalcouye, Jack Hinshelwood, Mats Wieffer and Georginio Rutter all options depending on the state of the game.
Charalampos Kostoulas is the first choice up top.
Head-to-head record
We won 12 of our last first 14 Premier League matches against Brighton but we are winless since then, meaning Brighton have beat us three times in the Premier League with three draws.
In that time, we’ve scored 45 goals and conceded 16 against the Seagulls.
We lost 2-1 on the south coast at the start of the 2025/26 season before a 1-1 draw at the Etihad.
How they attack
City (16.7) and Brighton (16.2) are the two highest ranked teams for expected goals so far in the Premier League this season, as well as being the highest goalscorers (Brighton 23, City 20).
Their outperformance when it comes to xG suggests they are scoring chances most sides would find more difficult, while only Manchester United have had more shots than them so far.
With 11 different scorers, they’re the best at sharing the goals around too, so they really can come from anywhere.
Their nine set play goals is the most in the division, as is their three on breaks. They also send more crosses into the box than anyone else, so our central defenders will have to be on guard.
With 518 passes per match, they’re the sixth most ball-conscious side in the league.
Gross, Hinshelwood and Kostoulas are the top scorers with three each, while Gross has contributed four assists from a league leading 23 chances created.
How they defend
Only Arsenal and Leeds have conceded fewer than Brighton’s seven let in so far.
They’re yet to concede a headed goal or a goal in the last 15 minutes of matches, suggesting a stubborn and very fit back four.
However, they have let in three in the first 15 minutes, with only three teams conceding more so far.
With 73.1% shots saved, Verbruggen is the sixth best goalkeeper when it comes to keeping the ball out of his net. His five clean sheets is level with David Raya for the Golden Glove.
Make a Night of It!
Hospitality for our remaining home Champions League games are now on sale.
After games with PSG and AEK Athens, City still face Napoli and Sporting CP at the Etihad in the League Phase of the 2026/27 competition.
We face Kevin De Bruyne’s Serie A side on Tuesday 24 November and Matheus Nunes’s former club on Wednesday 27 January – all kick-off times are 20:00 (UK).
And you can be here to see both high quality match ups with a range of packages available.
Prices start from £95 while we also have 20% off City Hall and Crossbar when two or more UCL League Phase games are purchased – the offer will automatically be added in your basket when you add two more fixtures.
Make your matchday unforgettable by booking one of our incredible hospitality experiences.
