Media review: Albion get plenty of praise after beating Manchester City

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How the newspapers and websites saw Saturday's 1-0 win at the Etihad.

Nick Szczepanik

2026-11-01T10:00+00:00

Jack Hinshelwood was close to scoring a second for Albion in the closing stages. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

Fabian Hurzeler may not be saying it, and the fans who follow Albion up and down the country are not daring to think it. But even those members of the media who are not deploying the word ‘title’ are not shy of talking about ‘Brighton & Hove Albion’ and ‘Champions League’ in the same sentences.

Mike McGrath of the Sunday Telegraph, for example, put the ‘T’ word right at the top of his report of Albion’s first-ever win away to Manchester City. “This Brighton and Hove Albion title challenge – as it must be classed now – flies in the face of the saying that money always talks in football,” he wrote.

“Looking at Brighton’s winning goal, it was created by a cross that flashed across the City goal from Diego Gomez, an £11m signing who was playing in Major League Soccer in the United States not so long ago. Maxim de Cuyper, a £17.5m arrival from Club Brugge, was credited with the assist after Yasin Ayari tapped in.

“Ayari cost £3.5m from Swedish club AIK and scored in the 5-0 wins over Coventry and Crystal Palace, and now has this winner to add to his collection. The 23-year-old is another example of Brighton polishing these gems and putting them together in a team that can win against any opponent in the Premier League.

“It could keep them at the top end of the table for a good while longer. They have already shown they can defeat Arsenal in a one-off match and they look to have the ingredients to stay the pace with them. In Fabian Hurzeler they have one of the brightest young coaches in the Premier League and he has a squad that are all on the same page.

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Yasin Ayari scored the only goal of the game, as Albion secure their first Premier League victory at the Etihad Stadium. Club photographer Paul Hazlewood was in the north west to capture all the action from a memorable afternoon.

“Leicester upset the odds 10 years ago with a settled team, while this Brighton team has a deeper squad. When the substitutes came on in the second half, they slotted into a well-rehearsed system.

“Hurzeler has played down a title challenge but his team have been among the most impressive in the first part of the season. The German coach, 33, has been in English football for two years but has learnt quickly the tried-and-tested response of taking each game as it comes. Next is Getafe in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.

“While Hurzeler was reluctant to name individual performers, Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was another key player in this win. He kept out Iliman Ndiaye and repelled Erling Haaland, who lost a physical battle with Lewis Dunk. ‘You’re going down with the Palace,’ chanted the jubilant Brighton fans.”

In the Sunday Times, Paul Hirst wrote that “Brighton may be returning to the south coast after their five-day sojourn to the North West but in terms of the quest for Champions League qualification, they are staying put.

“Unless fatigue or their participation in the Conference League derails them, Brighton will remain firmly in the challenge for a top-four spot – who knows, given the way they have started, they could set their sights even higher – precisely because of the characteristics they exhibited in their two games against City.

“On Wednesday, they showed skill, flair and attacking dynamism. Yesterday they beat City more because of their defensive strengths: their organisation, fight and composure.

“Granted, Brighton had the rub of the green on a couple of occasions, but Hurzeler’s men remained strong throughout. They ran, pressed, bought the odd foul and took one of their two major chances when Yasin Ayari tapped in after a mistake by Matheus Nunes.”

Jack Gaughan of the Mail On Sunday spotted a couple of interesting moments away from the main match action. “Fabian Hurzeler is roaring at his bench,” he wrote. “He is chest bumping substitutes and backroom staff with defiant pride, vindication of the words spoken about seeking revenge in the immediate aftermath of losing on penalties here in the cup a matter of days ago.

“Brighton stayed in Manchester after Wednesday night and Hurzeler spent that time plotting, organising the battle plan to topple league leaders who have been fallible defensively under Enzo Maresca this season but are producing scintillating attacking moments.

“His stock is soaring, his side a fascination and the faint chorus of ‘We're gonna win the league’ from the away end might just grow a little louder over the coming weeks if they can keep this up.

“Brighton's manager peeled away from the group as they enjoyed being serenaded by the away end, instead sharing a moment with match winner Yasin Ayari, whose third goal of the campaign owed much to the quick thinking of Lewis Dunk to restart play from a dead ball with haste and the individual mistake of Matheus Nunes, failing to clear Diego Gomez's cross. Ayari and Dunk were those to miss from the spot in the Carabao Cup.

“The joyous, and somewhat knowing, celebrations between staff members shone a light on the preparation that went into this result and how it quite clearly serves as a warning shot.

Friend of this column and the Guardian’s man in Manchester, Jamie Jackson, seemed to see the whole game from a City point of view but still found a few lines in praise of the visitors.

“Fabian Hurzeler’s side can be proud of victory here – and of being third,” he wrote. “They are worth the lofty position and who would bet against Champions League qualification for them.

“They can be proud of protecting their lead admirably because Maresca’s men kept coming at them.

“But [City] were made to look chumps when Ayari scored despite the move emanating from a free-kick given wrongly against Anderson. Lewis Dunk swept the dead ball right to Diego Gómez and from this point City slumbered. When Gómez crossed, Matheus Nunes missed his clearance, the ball came back in via Maxim De Cuyper and Ayari scored into an empty goal.

“City kept pressing but were repelled by Brighton so Hurzeler’s side moved to 19 points, two behind Maresca’s team: expect both to remain high up throughout.

In the Sun on Sunday, Ken Lawrence wrote that “Fabian Hurzeler and Yasin Ayari enjoyed sweet revenge in this battling victory less than 72 hours after suffering Etihad heartache. Brighton departed late on Wednesday night on the wrong end of a Carabao Cup shoot-out after leading twice, Ayari missing one of the penalties.

“But if they had no luck in that last-16 tie, they rode plenty of good fortune on their return as Enzo Maresca’s men blew chance after chance.

“The victory lifted boss Hurzeler’s third-placed Seagulls to within two points of leaders City. And on hard graft and defensive determination alone they took real credit for the win that keeps them very much in the title conversation.

“Yet Maresca stomped around his coaching zone in constant frustration after Ayari had grabbed what turned out to be an 11th-minute winner out of nowhere – with even goal machine Erling Haaland firing blanks.

The players celebrate a famous win at the Etihad. 📷Paul Hazlewood

“Swedish attacker Ayari was one of those cursing the loudest after that shattering cup reverse after fluffing his lines. Yet at the same end as that drama he was suddenly celebrating."

On the BBC Sport website, Shamoon Hafez wrote that “Brighton had never won at City in 16 previous league visits but they ended that run through an early goal and stout defending.

“They are a very well-drilled side, with relentless pressing and the reward for their supporters to make the second long trip up from the south coast in the space of three days was a thoroughly deserved three points.”