Man City and Brighton lock horns in quick Premier League rematch

In an enticing Premier League Matchday 9 encounter, Manchester City host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium, with Craig Pawson appointed as the referee. Enzo Maresca's league leaders sit at the summit with 21 points, while Fabian Hürzeler's Brighton have been the surprise package of the campaign so far, occupying third place on 16 points. Intriguingly, the two sides face off once again just days after their thrilling Carabao Cup clash.

Manchester City's form over their last five matches in all competitions has been a rollercoaster. They suffered a 4-2 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League before bouncing back with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Ipswich at the Etihad in the Premier League. Another European fixture saw them cruise past AEK with a 5-1 victory, but they subsequently fell to a 2-1 defeat away at Aston Villa in domestic action. Most recently, City played out a 2-2 draw with Brighton in the Carabao Cup, ultimately advancing 4-3 on penalties.

Brighton have experienced mixed results across their last five outings. The Seagulls secured a comprehensive 4-0 home win over Kauno Zalgiris in the Conference League, followed by a resounding 5-0 rout of Crystal Palace at the Amex in the Premier League. A goalless draw away to Jablonec in Europe preceded a 2-0 league defeat against Liverpool at Anfield. Most recently, Brighton bowed out of the Carabao Cup following a 2-2 draw and a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Manchester City.

Across the last five competitive meetings between the two sides, Brighton hold the upper hand with two wins and two draws, while Manchester City have failed to claim a victory in regulation time (despite their recent Carabao Cup shootout success). Previous league encounters include a 2-1 win for Brighton in November 2024, a 2-2 draw in March 2025, another 2-1 triumph for Brighton in August 2025, and a 1-1 stalemate in January 2026.

For the hosts, forward Antoine Semenyo is the only absentee through injury, giving Enzo Maresca an almost fully fit squad to select from.

Brighton face significantly more selection headaches, with Stefanos Tzimas, Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Zadok Yohana, and Femi Azeez all sidelined through injury.