Ayari on target as Brighton stun Manchester City to close gap on leaders

Manchester City have lost two consecutive league games but no alarm should be sounded. Enzo Maresca’s fast-passing team were defeated on Saturday because Yasin Ayari took one of Brighton’s rare chances, the 11th-minute winner deriving from what appeared a wrongly awarded free-kick for Elliot Anderson’s “foul” on the same player.

Fabian Hürzeler’s side can be proud of victory here – and of being third. 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. City’s problem was the final touch or finish and not creating enough for the lethal Erling Haaland.

When Nico O’Reilly, a secondphalf substitute, zipped the ball across goal towards the end, Iliman Ndiaye sprayed wide: a fair summation of what cost City.

Ndiaye and Josko Gvardiol were replaced after this by Phil Foden and Allan Elias as Maresca tried to salvage a point or better. It did not occur but his stewardship continues to impress, three months in.

City were slick throughout as when Ayyoub Bouaddi’s quick feet found Enzo Fernández and he poked the ball out to the left with a no-look pass that found the menacing Jérémy Doku.

But they were made to look chumps when Ayari scored despite the move emanating from the 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, with Gianluigi Donnarumma stranded.

As in City’s Carabao Cup penalty shootout win over Brighton here on Wednesday the visitors pummelled the hosts – for a period. City required a spark so Anderson stepped up, his snake-hips along the right creating space for a pinpoint ball that Ndiaye should have headed home not wide.

The Senegal international next wowed with a throwback slaloming run which took him, from the right and near halfway into Brighton’s area. Suddenly the target gaped and if he had driven beyond Bart Verbruggen and not into the Brighton goalkeeper’s gloves it would have been a goal of the season contender.

It was the centrepiece of a swashbuckling response from City, as a Doku raid wreaked havoc along Brighton’s right and Haaland, Gvardiol and Fernández all might have found an equaliser.

If this thrust and cut recalled Pep Guardiola’s finer City vintages there was an added element of pace that is Maresca’s particular special sauce. A 50-yard diagonal speared from Anderson to the galloping Doku was another moment of high quality. And, as half-time neared, Haaland was the recipient after more Anderson’s scheming: the Norwegian adjusted his feet and unloaded but was thwarted.

There was a loud City cry for a penalty when Luka Vuskovic handballed but no infringement was the ruling; the same as when Ndiaye’s cross seemed to be parried by Dunk’s arm.

Maresca kept his word about City (currently) being “Gio plus 10” as Donnarumma started, though there were two changes from the loss at Aston Villa as Marc Guéhi and Rayan Cherki were dropped, Matheus Nunes and Bouaddi selected.

For the second half the Italian could retain his XI as City promised they might score soon. This was if the ascendancy of the opening period continued. But Brighton dominated for a passage, as they did during the initial exchanges.

De Cuyper blasted over a fine chance before Ndiaye’s radar was better, another blazing run along the right this time ending with a blistering shot that Verbrugged tipped on to the bar.

This was end-to-end fare that, now, had Pascal Gross tipping the ball in and De Cuyper heading, Donnarumma diving right to fend away from goal.

On 55 minutes Maresca brought on Cherki for Bouaddi and the Frenchman’s contribution was to thread Nunes in, the right-back’s fierce effort was saved.

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