Fabian Hurzeler hails Brighton’s belief after stunning Man City at the Etihad

Yasin Ayari scored the only goal of the game in the 11th minute, capitalising on a defensive mix-up by Matheus Nunes.

Brighton then defended resolutely for the remaining 79 minutes, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen making a series of important saves to secure a fifth clean sheet in their last six Premier League matches.

The result left Fabian Hurzeler's side third in the table, just two points behind City and Arsenal, and inflicted consecutive league defeats on the leaders for the first time under Enzo Maresca.

Speaking after the match, Hurzeler stressed the importance of mentality and collective contribution in such high-stakes environments.

"It's important to have this mindset and to spread it around the environment we work in, and belief is key to winning these types of games," he said.

"Coming here to City, against one of the best teams in the league, is always special. You have to be brilliant at the basics and everyone was contributing.

"From Tuesday, when we travelled, we wanted to have a good four days, enjoy it and finish strong. Everyone can enjoy this win today."

Brighton stayed in the Manchester area after their midweek Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to City at the same venue. The plan turned the short turnaround into an opportunity to build focus and cohesion and the reward was a historic result.

Verbruggen, who was widely praised for his performance and attracted a swarm of teammates at full-time, was equally quick to deflect individual praise and emphasise the team effort.

"It was a good game from all of us. I'm happy to help the team and make some important saves, but I wasn't the only one," said Verbruggen.

"I think there were four or five shots blocked in an amazing way as well. It was a joint effort from everyone. We celebrate and go again."

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