Brighton beat Manchester City 1-0, a week after cup defeat

Brighton beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Premier League, one week after City had knocked them out of the Carabao Cup.

It was City's first home game without a goal in 23 matches, according to BBC Sport. For a side that rarely stops scoring at the Etihad, that is a rare kind of silence.

Brighton's manager, Fabian Hurzeler, had not hidden his mood after the cup exit. He said his side had "a great chance on Saturday to take revenge." They took it, and the win moves them up the table. Brighton are now third, behind leaders Arsenal and City.

This is not a one-off. Brighton have now beaten both Arsenal and Manchester City this season. They have also scored 24 goals in nine league games, more than any other side in the Premier League. Only Arsenal have conceded fewer than their seven.

The way Brighton defend has drawn attention too. Most teams pick one system and stick to it. Brighton mix two approaches. Near their own goal, they often switch to man-marking, where each defender follows a particular opponent. Elsewhere, they avoid a rigid shape such as a flat 4-4-2, where two banks of players hold fixed zones of the pitch. The mix gives them flexibility, and it asks a lot of every player to keep their concentration and their position.

Hurzeler's side have also been making the most of their attacking pressure. Pressing means winning the ball high up the pitch, close to the opponent's goal, so the attack starts from a stronger position. Brighton have been strong at this, and their first-half control against City was one of the main reasons for the result.

For Brighton fans, the message is simple. Their team is near the top of the league, and it is doing it in a distinctive way. For City, the next step is to find the goals that went missing at home. Their next test will show whether one bad afternoon was a blip or the start of something bigger.