Verbruggen heroics help Brighton shut out Man City in 1-0 win
Bart Verbruggen made seven saves as Brighton beat Manchester City 1-0, sealing a fifth clean sheet in six Premier League games and moving third in the table.
Brighton returned to Etihad Stadium three days after losing to Manchester City on penalties in the Carabao Cup fourth round and came away with a 1-0 Premier League win. At full-time the contrast between the sides was stark, and most Brighton players went straight to goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, whose seven saves underpinned the result and a fifth clean sheet in six league matches.
Verbruggen's standout moment came in the second half, when he dived low to his right to keep out a fierce Matheus Nunes effort and deny City an equaliser. Head coach Fabian Hurzeler said the goalkeeper's display spread belief, adding that coming to City against one of the league's best teams is always special and that his players had to be brilliant at the basics, with everyone contributing.
City had plenty of chances, accumulating an expected-goals figure of 1.92 to Brighton's 1.00. The hosts recorded 21 shots without scoring, their most in a Premier League game without a goal since November 2024, when they had 24 and also drew a blank. Enzo Maresca will rue misses from Iliman Ndiaye, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nunes in particular as City look to rediscover their finishing touch.
Brighton's win was more than a product of City's wastefulness. Hurzeler's side are the division's highest scorers with 24 goals in nine matches and have kept the most clean sheets, six. Only Arsenal, who have played a game fewer and visit Liverpool on Sunday, have conceded fewer than Brighton's seven. Much of that solidity stems from Luka Vuskovic, the 19-year-old Croatian signed from Tottenham for a club-record fee in July who has started all nine league games alongside Lewis Dunk.
Verbruggen credited the collective, noting that four or five shots were also blocked superbly and calling it a joint effort. Brighton sit third, two points behind Arsenal and City, and supporters are beginning to ask whether an unlikely title challenge is possible, especially after September's 3-0 win over Arsenal. The goalkeeper, however, urged caution, pointing out it is only game nine and saying the team will take it match by match and see where they stand at the end of the season.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
