Maresca's perfect start ends as Man City lose again, this time to Brighton

Manchester City have lost two Premier League games in a row for the first time in 14 months, after a 1-0 home defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

The run ended a remarkable opening for Enzo Maresca. He had won his first seven league games as City manager, a Premier League record for most wins to start a managerial reign, according to City's own website. The streak finished the previous Saturday at Aston Villa, which was City's first league defeat of the season.

Maresca took over from Pep Guardiola. He signed a three-year contract running to summer 2029, and his appointment is his third spell at the club. He had earlier managed Leicester City, from 2023.

The early season was not all bad news for City. They won 3-0 at Anfield, where Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, and they were Premier League leaders at the time. Rayan Cherki scored the third goal, finishing a team move that involved 41 passes.

The defensive numbers now tell a different story. City have conceded 10 goals in nine league games, while scoring 20. In their past eight games in all competitions, they have kept only one clean sheet, a match in which they do not concede a goal.

BBC Sport's analysis argued that Maresca's big test is dealing with a growing list of problems at City. It said individual mistakes at the back are starting to pile up, and it named Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma among those at fault. Guehi was dropped for the Brighton match.

Some of the changes sit behind the current side. City spent £327m on reshaping their midfield over the summer, after Bernardo Silva and Rodri left the club. The new players have been asked to fit a team that is still learning its shape under a new manager.

There is also the matter of last season. City finished second to Arsenal in the title race, so the margin for error is smaller than it looked in October, when Maresca's side sat three points clear at the top.

For now, the question is simple to ask and harder to answer. Can a team that scored 20 goals in nine games stop giving them away at the other end? City have plenty of time to find out, but each slip now costs more points than it did a month ago.