Manchester City’s interim manager Enzo Maresca expressed frustration over what he described as “silly goals” and individual errors undermining the team’s Premier League campaign following their 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The match, played at the Amex Stadium, saw Brighton secure a victory through Yasin Ayari’s decisive goal.
The winning strike originated from a defensive lapse by City’s right-back Matheus Nunes, who failed to intercept a cross from Diego Gómez on the right flank. This misjudgment allowed the ball to be redirected across the goalmouth by Maxime De Cuyper, enabling Ayari to score. Maresca acknowledged the recurring nature of such mistakes, referring also to the previous 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa, where goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma allowed a long-range shot by Nicolas Jackson to slip beneath him for the match-winner.
“Sometimes it happens,” Maresca stated. “Unfortunately, it is happening for our players, but it is part of football. We need to analyse, understand what we can do better and try to move on.” He emphasized that despite City being the second-highest scorers in the league, they have been conceding avoidable goals that have cost them valuable points.
Maresca further reflected on the team’s performances, highlighting that City created enough chances to earn points in recent matches but failed to convert them. “It is very similar feeling to after the Aston Villa game — we did enough to deserve something,” he said. “We need to move on and try to win games. For sure we are not happy.”
The outcome left Brighton on 19 points, placing them two points behind Manchester City, who remain top of the table ahead of Arsenal’s away fixture at Liverpool on Sunday. Maresca also remarked that he had yet to review the video evidence concerning the free-kick awarded against City’s Elliot Anderson late in the match and was therefore unable to comment on its fairness.
Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler welcomed the victory as a positive response following their midweek Carabao Cup penalty shootout loss to City. “Every morning you can wake up and decide if you’re disappointed by something you cannot change or set the tone,” Hürzeler said. “It was brutal [the cup defeat]. We promised ourselves that we won’t have the same feeling.”
He praised his squad’s resilience and unity, noting the team had harnessed “energy” and “positivity” from the experience, which helped them secure the result on Saturday. Looking ahead, Hürzeler emphasized the club’s continued focus on development. “The only thing we’re focused on is that we are in a big process, a process of analysing the game,” he said. Brighton prepare to face Getafe in the Europa League on Thursday, with Hürzeler noting the challenge ahead while maintaining a measured outlook on the club’s ambitions this season.