EPL: Manchester City suffer another loss as Brighton win *Full results

Spread the word Manchester City suffered another setback in the Premier League title race after losing 1-0 to Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, while Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2-0 to deepen the pressure on manager Michael Carrick.

Yasin Ayari’s first-half strike proved decisive as Brighton secured their first-ever Premier League victory away to City, handing Pep Guardiola’s side a second consecutive league defeat after their 1-0 loss to Aston Villa last weekend. Blueprint reports

The result ended City’s hopes of immediately recovering from their first setback of the campaign and opened the door for Arsenal to move above them when they face Liverpool on Sunday.

City remain on 21 points from nine matches, level with Arsenal, who have played one game fewer. Brighton moved to 19 points and third position following their impressive away victory.

The Saturday fixtures also produced important results at both ends of the table, with Chelsea overcoming United, Brentford beating Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth defeating Leeds United and Coventry recording a 3-1 victory over Sunderland.

Brighton made a bright start at the Etihad and were rewarded in the 11th minute when Ayari capitalised on a defensive error to put the visitors ahead.

A low cross into the City penalty area was not properly dealt with by Matheus Nunes, allowing the ball to reach Ayari, who finished from close range past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The early goal gave Brighton the platform to frustrate the hosts, who struggled to translate their possession and attacking pressure into clear-cut opportunities.

City dominated large portions of the encounter but found Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen difficult to beat.

Erling Haaland was unable to make the desired impact, while Iliman Ndiaye, Jeremy Doku and Abdukodir Khusanov also had efforts denied as Brighton defended their advantage with discipline.

The visitors had opportunities to extend their lead, particularly through Maxim De Cuyper, who failed to convert a promising chance shortly after the restart.

City increased the pressure in the closing stages, but their efforts produced no equaliser. Nico O’Reilly came particularly close in the 90th minute when his header went narrowly wide.

The final whistle confirmed a significant victory for Brighton, who had also faced City in the Carabao Cup earlier in the week, losing on penalties after a draw.

Saturday’s result represents City’s second consecutive Premier League defeat after beginning the campaign with seven straight victories.

Their unbeaten start was ended by Aston Villa last weekend, and the loss to Brighton means Guardiola’s side have now dropped six points in successive league outings.

Although City remain joint-top with Arsenal on 21 points, their position is increasingly vulnerable because the Gunners have a game in hand.

Arsenal will take over the leadership if they avoid defeat against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, making the encounter particularly important in the early title race.

Brighton’s victory also underlined their growing competitiveness. The Seagulls moved to 19 points, just two behind the leading pair, after collecting another important result against one of the league’s leading sides.

For City, the immediate challenge is to rediscover the attacking sharpness and defensive concentration that characterised their opening run of victories.

Their inability to break down Brighton, despite enjoying considerable possession and creating opportunities, will be a concern for Guardiola as the season progresses.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2-0 in a result that further intensified the scrutiny surrounding Carrick.

The encounter remained goalless at half-time, with United creating several opportunities but failing to convert them.

Matheus Cunha thought he had given the visitors the lead, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Chelsea also had a goal by Estêvão disallowed for offside.

Morgan Rogers eventually broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with an impressive individual effort, driving through the United defence before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

United’s hopes of recovering suffered a major blow when defender Lisandro Martínez was sent off in the second half following a VAR review of his challenge on Wesley Fofana.

Chelsea were awarded a penalty, which Cole Palmer converted in the 64th minute to double the advantage.

The dismissal left United with 10 players and made a comeback increasingly difficult. Chelsea subsequently managed the contest to secure all three points.

The defeat extended United’s winless run to nine matches across all competitions, placing Carrick under further pressure.

United’s seven points from nine league matches represent their worst start to a Premier League season since 1986, according to reports, while their position near the bottom of the table has increased concerns among supporters.

They were spared dropping into the relegation zone on Saturday only because Nottingham Forest also lost. However, their position remained vulnerable depending on the outcome of Tottenham’s match against Crystal Palace.

Elsewhere, Brentford defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0, extending the visitors’ difficult run under manager Oliver Glasner.

The defeat left Forest in the relegation zone, while Brentford collected three valuable points in front of their home supporters.

Bournemouth also secured a 2-0 victory over Leeds United to move into seventh position.

The result strengthened Bournemouth’s position in the upper half of the table, while Leeds missed the opportunity to collect points away from home.

One of the notable performances of the afternoon came from Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who scored his first Premier League goal of the season as Coventry City defeated Sunderland 3-1.

Awoniyi, who had returned from suspension following a red card, made his contribution count by winning possession from a defender before forcing his way into the penalty area and sending a deflected effort into the net.

The victory lifted Coventry out of the relegation zone, while Sunderland remained at the bottom of the table.

The meeting between two newly promoted sides, Hull City and Ipswich Town, ended 2-2, with both teams sharing the points after an entertaining encounter.

The completed Premier League results on Saturday were:

The weekend’s programme continues on Sunday with Liverpool taking on Arsenal at Anfield, a match that could have significant implications for the title race.

With City having suffered back-to-back defeats and Arsenal still holding a game in hand, Sunday’s meeting offers the Gunners an opportunity to take advantage of the champions’ latest setback.