Brighton took a surprise early lead against Manchester City in their Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon following a goal from Yasin Ayari.
Early Strike at the Etihad
The Swedish international put Fabian Hurzeler’s side ahead after a cross delivered into the Manchester City penalty area deflected into his path. Ayari capitalized on the opportunity to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage, putting pressure on the host team as they aimed to maintain their strong home record.
The goal marked another quick start for Brighton at the Etihad, coming just three days after the two teams met in the Carabao Cup. In that midweek fixture, Brighton took the lead twice through goals from Malick Yalcouye and Georginio Rutter before Manchester City fought back to equalize at 2-2 and eventually advanced on penalties.
Brighton traveled to Manchester as the top-scoring team in the Premier League, having recorded 23 goals in their opening eight league matches. Meanwhile, Manchester City were seeking to respond after losing their perfect league record the previous weekend.
