Pep Guardiola is once again left frustrated by Brighton's coach

Thanks to Fabian Hurzeler's smart substitutions and strategic changes, Brighton held Man City to a 1-1 draw at Etihad. Thus, the "Seagulls" have not lost to Man City in both meetings this season.

During the 21st round of the 2025/26 Premier League, Man City hosted Brighton at home. With home advantage and a stronger squad unaffected by AFCON 2025 absences, Man City were confident of defeating their opponents. They dominated the match and scored the opening goal in the 40th minute. Striker Erling Haaland calmly converted a penalty, putting Man City ahead and raising his Premier League 2025/26 goal tally to 20.

However, at the 60th minute, while Man City still controlled the game, the visitors found an equalizer through Mitoma. The home side pushed hard in the last 30 minutes but missed several chances, allowing Brighton to secure a 1-1 draw. According to statistics, Pep Guardiola has drawn three consecutive domestic league matches, marking only the third time in his coaching career this has happened, after April 2017 and December 2023.

Meanwhile, Fabian Hurzeler is the first coach in history to remain unbeaten in all four Premier League meetings against Pep Guardiola, with two wins and two draws. Therefore, Brighton have not lost to Man City in both clashes this season, having even beaten the Etihad hosts in the first leg.

Clearly, since Juergen Klopp’s departure, it is not the managers of MU, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, or Arsenal but Brighton’s tactically astute Hurzeler who has become Guardiola’s most frustrating opponent.

With only one point against Brighton, Man City faces the risk of the top team Arsenal extending their lead to 8 points if Mikel Arteta’s side beats the reigning champions Liverpool on the morning of January 9th.

Currently, although Liverpool have good results, overall their gameplay is not yet fully stable. Coupled with injuries to several players and absences due to AFCON 2025, this causes headaches for Klopp. Therefore, if Liverpool lose to Arsenal, it would not surprise many fans.