Manchester City’s second straight Premier League defeat arrived on home turf, with Brighton & Hove Albion leaving with a 1-0 win and City left to question another flat display.

For long spells, the hosts looked short of ideas. Half-hearted penalty appeals and Iliman Ndiaye’s wayward header were among the few openings before the break, and the pattern barely changed after it. City pushed, but their attacks rarely developed into clear chances, with Brighton’s back line standing firm throughout.

Ndiaye struck the woodwork twice, while Nico O’Reilly headed just wide late on, yet the overall impression was of a side unable to find a decisive edge. City carried plenty of endeavour, but Brighton’s organisation made that effort count for very little.

The result leaves City facing the possibility of surrendering top spot if Arsenal beat Liverpool on Sunday, and the timing will concern them after back-to-back slips in the early title race. The opening seven gameweeks had suggested a side that could still overwhelm opponents even without the fluidity of Pep Guardiola’s best teams, but recent defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa have been followed by these two meetings with Brighton, and the warning signs are now harder to ignore.

There was little to admire in a side that had already looked unconvincing in midweek, and this performance followed a familiar pattern. Without the injured Antoine Semenyo and after Rayan Cherki was dropped to the bench, City lacked penetration in midfield and sharpness in the final third.

At the back, there were troubling moments as well. Matheus Nunes’s missed clearance gifted Brighton the lead, while another move carved through the hosts before Maxim De Cuyper sent an effort over from close range.

Come the final whistle, City had the possession and the shot count, but not the answers.

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—6.5: Quieter than his deputy Gerónimo Rulli was midweek. One terrible pass into midfield almost cost City, though.
RB: Matheus Nunes—6.0: Nunes’s blunder could be attributed to rustiness, but there are few excuses for such a basic mistake. One of several untidy moments for him.
CB: Abdukodir Khusanov—7.5: Brighton’s counter attacking sequences unnerved City on occasion, but Khusanov generally handled his individual duels effectively.
CB: Rúben Dias—6.7: Sloppy in possession-as were many of his teammates-and was rarely tested defensively.
LB: Joško Gvardiol—7.0: Offers an incredible attacking threat. Feasibly could have notched a goal or an assist on another day, consistently popping up in dangerous zones.
CM: Ayyoub Bouaddi—5.9: An unpolished performance from the youngster, who still has much to learn before being able to command the Premier League stage. Hooked before the hour.
CM: Elliot Anderson—7.5: Covered every last blade of grass courtesy of his endless engine. Whether snapping into tackles or sparking attacking sequences, Anderson was at the heart of things for City.
RW: Iliman Ndiaye—7.0: City’s brightest spark for much of the encounter, but profligacy proved his barrier to success. Spurned his side’s most promising moments.
AM: Enzo Fernández—6.3: Produced a tame performance when unleashed in the advanced midfield role, and was unsurprisingly sacrificed as Maresca sought an equalizer.
LW: Jérémy Doku—8.3: Caused chaos with his speed and directness, but, as is so often the case with Doku, the end product didn’t match the build-up. Just gave the ball away so much.
ST: Erling Haaland—6.2: Typically isolated for much of the encounter-underscored by his 12 first-half touches, nine fewer than Donnarumma-and therefore unable to add to his nine Premier League goals.
SUB: Rayan Cherki (55’ for Bouaddi)—6.5: Brought on to produce some magic. Failed to do so.
SUB: Nico O’Reilly (64’ for Fernández)—6.8: Missed an excellent opportunity in the dying embers.
SUB: Allan (79’ for Ndiaye)—6.0: An enthusiastic runner.
SUB: Phil Foden (79’ for Gvardiol)—6.0: On the fringes.

Aston Villa have delivered the Premier League’s first defeat of Manchester City this season, and they are also the first side to take points from them. Unai Emery’s team earned that landmark result at Villa Park, where City were below their best and paid for it. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marc Guéhi were both singled out for especially poor showings, Nicolas Jackson struck on loan to make the difference, and Zion Suzuki contributed six saves across the 90 minutes.

City remain top of the current Premier League standings, but the performance offered the first domestic indication that they are not untouchable. Arsenal followed by matching them on points after beating Everton, leaving the title race level at the summit and Arsenal second only on goal difference.

That Arsenal victory came with Bukayo Saka unavailable and possibly out until Christmas. The Gunners were short of natural creativity, but they compensated by rediscovering the set-piece strength that served them so well last season.

With those results, and two others on Saturday, Opta’s supercomputer updated its predictions again.

The title model now has Arsenal first with 79.55 predicted points and a 53.82% chance of finishing champions. Manchester City are second on 76.11 points and 34.39%. Brighton remain the only other side above 5%, while Liverpool are at 3.29% and Chelsea at 1.42%.

The Champions League outlook keeps Arsenal and City well clear, with both above 90% to qualify. Brighton stand at 58.37%, Liverpool at 46.70%, Chelsea at 31.28% and Aston Villa at 21.66%. Brentford, Leeds and Everton are further back, and Manchester United’s five-match winless run has left them below 6%.

At the lower end, Tottenham have made a notable move in the right direction. Two wins in a row have cut their relegation chance to 14%, and the model now projects them to finish 13th. That is not especially strong, but it is a considerable improvement on consecutive 17th-place finishes in the last two seasons.

Manchester City’s flawless Premier League run came to an abrupt halt on Saturday, with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park. Nicolas Jackson’s brace ultimately decided the match, even though City spent long spells on the front foot and created enough chances to avoid defeat.

The visitors were bright before the interval and frequently forced Zion Suzuki into sharp saves, while two penalty appeals were waved away. Iliman Ndiaye was the most dangerous outlet, twice threatening from distance and going close when a fierce effort struck the outside of the post.

After the restart, City finally found a breakthrough. Erling Haaland rose to meet Ndiaye’s delivery and powered in the equaliser, seemingly giving the visitors the momentum they needed. But the response did not last. Villa regained the lead when Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to keep out Jackson’s driven strike, and City were unable to recover despite sustained pressure.

There were positives in the performance, particularly in Ndiaye’s work from wide areas. His acceleration and direct running repeatedly troubled Villa, and his contribution to the goal underlined his influence. Haaland, meanwhile, offered little beyond the header, though that proved enough to add to his tally.

At the other end, Marc Guéhi endured another difficult outing after a costly mistake helped Villa seize the initiative. Donnarumma, too, came under scrutiny after Jackson’s second goal, with the shot appearing central enough to be dealt with. Villa’s goalkeeper Suzuki, by contrast, was outstanding and repeatedly denied City when they seemed poised to score.

The result leaves City with work to do after their unbeaten start was ended, and it also opens the door for Arsenal to draw level at the top of the table.