Brighton & Hove Albion beat Manchester City 1–0 at the Etihad Stadium on 31 October, with Yasin Ayari’s 11th-minute goal giving Fabian Hurzeler’s side immediate revenge for their Carabao Cup exit three days earlier.

The result also brought renewed attention to the uneasy history between Hurzeler and City manager Enzo Maresca, although neither man made any fresh personal remarks after the match.

Ayari scored after Matheus Nunes miskicked a clearance, and Brighton held firm under sustained City pressure to record their first away win against the Citizens in any competition, at the 18th attempt.

City had won their opening seven Premier League matches but have now lost consecutive league games, while Brighton moved up to third, two points behind the leaders.

Hurzeler’s payback remarks before the rematch

The connection to the managers’ earlier exchange came before kick-off. Brighton had led twice against City in the Carabao Cup fourth round on 28 October before losing on penalties, and Hurzeler said City “had the fortune” in that tie.

He viewed the Premier League meeting as a chance to respond, calling a win “the ultimate payback.” Maresca, however, played down the comments as a challenge directed at him.

“This is what he said. Every manager can say something different. It depends on what you see with your eyes. But I respect what he said,” Maresca said before the match, according to ESPN.

Asked directly about revenge, the City manager added: “If it’s revenge or these kinds of things, it’s more about them, not about us.”

Brighton then delivered the result Hürzeler had wanted. Ayari’s early goal proved decisive, and Hurzeler said afterwards that Brighton “had a little bit of luck” but had earned it through their work.

How Brighton won at the Etihad

Brighton’s victory was built on an early lead and a disciplined defensive display. Bart Verbruggen made seven saves to keep Manchester City at bay, while the visitors finished with 1.00 expected goals (xG) compared with City’s 1.92, according to BBC Sport.

Despite creating several opportunities, City could not find a way past Verbruggen. They registered 21 shots without scoring, their highest total in a Premier League match without a goal since November 2024.

Maresca felt his side deserved more from the game but admitted they needed to respond after their second successive league defeat.

“A bit strange. The same feeling as after Aston Villa away. We did enough to deserve something more, but we have to move on and try to win games,” Maresca told BBC Match of the Day.

Brighton, meanwhile, continued their impressive defensive run. The result took their league clean-sheet tally to six this season, the highest in the division. They had also kept five clean sheets in their previous six Premier League matches before travelling to the Etihad.

The Maresca–Hürzeler history behind the rivalry

The tension between the two managers dates back to February 2025, when Maresca was still in charge of Chelsea.

Ahead of their Premier League meeting with Brighton, he repeatedly declined to praise Hurzeler, instead speaking positively about his predecessor, Roberto De Zerbi.

“I prefer not to say anything about their manager,” Maresca said at the time, according to Goal. Asked whether there was a problem between them, he replied: “No, no problem at all.”

Hürzeler also acknowledged the tension surrounding meetings between Chelsea and Brighton, partly attributing it to frustration among Brighton supporters over several former players moving to Stamford Bridge.

“I think the tension is there,” he said. “I like that we have this tension because it shows that we are ready to fight against them.”

Brighton went on to beat Chelsea 2–1 in the FA Cup on 14 February 2025, just days after the exchange. However, there is little evidence to suggest the disagreement developed into a lasting personal feud.

Maresca's subsequent move to Manchester City has added another dimension to the rivalry, with the two managers now facing each other as Premier League opponents.