Semenyo remains out as Manchester City host third-placed Brighton three days after the cup
League leaders Manchester City meet third-placed Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, three days after the clubs play a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie on the same ground. Antoine Semenyo is still missing with the non-muscular injury Enzo Maresca has put at about eight weeks, while Brighton are carrying a long absentee list and two hip injuries from Anfield.
Manchester City and Brighton meet in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday at 15:00 GMT, with the home side first and Arsenal level on 21 points. The league game is the second meeting of the week: the Carabao Cup fourth round is at the same ground on Wednesday at 19:30 UK. City lost their first league match of the season at Aston Villa, and Brighton's eight-match unbeaten run ended at Liverpool.
A Manchester City victory is the stronger reading, with enough in both attacks for each side to score and for the match to produce at least three goals.
Antoine Semenyo will not play. Maresca has said the injury is not muscular, that it could last about eight weeks, and that a return around December would give City another player; reports have called it a leg injury or a knee injury. Matheus Nunes was left out against Villa and was only a doubt for the cup. Maresca also sent Erling Haaland and four team-mates away for three days after Villa so they could come back with energy. Fabian Hurzeler said two Brighton players suffered hip injuries at Anfield and that he needed scans before judging them, while published lists disagree on whether every other absentee is definitely out.
City's last five completed matches were a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, a 5-1 home win over AEK Athens, a 3-2 home win over Ipswich Town, a 2-4 home defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and a 3-0 win at Liverpool. The Ipswich victory made Maresca, on the club's account, the first manager to win his first seven Premier League games. After matchweek 8, City lead with 21 points from eight games and a goal difference of plus 11, ahead of Arsenal only on goal difference. Brighton are third on 16 points, with 23 goals and a goal difference of plus 16, the best figures in the published table. Their last five completed games were a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool, a goalless draw at Jablonec, a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace, a 4-0 win over Kauno Zalgiris and a 2-0 win at Sunderland. After Anfield, Hurzeler said the defeat was painful because the team felt it had missed a chance to win.
The last six league meetings were Manchester City 1-1 Brighton on 7 January 2026, Brighton 2-1 Manchester City on 31 August 2025, Manchester City 2-2 Brighton on 15 March 2025, Brighton 2-1 Manchester City on 9 November 2024, Brighton 0-4 Manchester City on 25 April 2024 and Manchester City 2-1 Brighton on 21 October 2023. Brighton are unbeaten in the latest four of those games.
