The Media Review: City stunned at the Amex again

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The media reflects on our terrific win over City.

Nick Szczepanik

2025-09-01T10:15+01:00

Brajan Gruda celebrates after the win against City. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Fabian Hurzeler's excellent use of his substitutes in Albion's comeback win against Manchester City at the Amex on Sunday got plenty of positive coverage in the media. But City's strength was also a topic of debate.

That was the theme of Jonathan Wilson's report in The Guardian. “When a team lose the aura of champions, it can go absolutely,” he wrote. “Opponents suddenly look at them and wonder what on earth once seemed so intimidating, how on earth a bunch of players in these shirts, even with this manager, could seem so unbeatable.

“At half-time Manchester City led, and seemed comfortable in their lead against opponents who had never got going. But by the time Brajan Gruda calmly rounded James Trafford and dumped Rayan Aït-Nouri on his backside before rolling into an empty net, a Brighton winner had come to seem almost overdue.

“Seconds earlier Trafford had made a remarkable save, stretching back and to his left to claw away a deflected Jan Paul van Hecke shot. But there had been opportunities before that as well; the Brighton surge had become relentless.

Brajan Gruda rounds James Trafford to score the winner against City. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“What was notable then was just how incapable City seemed of stopping the Brighton flow. Trafford made save after save before, in the 89th minute, another turnover led to a four-on-three break. Mitoma picked his pass with typical composure and Gruda, presented with yet another one-on-one, almost casually converted.”

In The Daily Telegraph, Tim Wigmore wrote that “trailing 1-0 after an hour, and City’s rhythm becoming more ominous, Fabian Hürzeler deployed four substitutes to try to transform the match. A little over half an hour later, ‘Freed From Desire’ blared out at the American Express Stadium, as Brighton’s jubilant players and fans toasted one of their finest victories in recent years.

“Brighton’s two match-winners made for an unlikely pair. The first, James Milner, had not scored a Premier League goal since 2019. But when Brighton won a penalty within minutes of him coming on, Milner was entrusted with the ball. He duly struck a pristine shot past James Trafford, stroked into the bottom right corner to level up the game. This goal, aged 39, makes Milner both the second youngest and second oldest scorer in Premier League history, a testament to his evolution, range and professionalism over 24 seasons.

“But Brighton’s ambitions were not sated by their equaliser, as Hürzeler made clear as he implored his side to press when City played the ball deep from the back. When there was a break with seven minutes remaining, while Abdukodir Khusanov needed treatment, all of Brighton’s outfield players went over to the sidelines, where they received instructions from Hürzeler. Milner was also notably vocal, indicating how much Hürzeler values his tactical nous.

James Milner scored his first goal in nearly six years. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“With sparkling footwork from Kaoru Mitoma and man of the match Yankuba Minteh, Brighton continued to attack City’s vulnerable flanks. In the 89th minute, Mitoma picked out Brajan Gruda – another Brighton substitute, but aged 21, almost half Milner’s age. Gruda dribbled past Rayan Ait-Nouri, and then slotted past Trafford. Ait-Nouri, like his team, was left flat on the floor.”

Justin Allen wrote in The Sun that “City were in the driving seat when Erling Haaland celebrated his 100th Premier League game with his 88th goal 11 minutes before the break. But on came James Milner, Brajan Gruda, Yasin Ayari and Georginio Rutter — and the game was spun on its head.

“The turning point came in the 67th minute when referee Darren England awarded Brighton a penalty after Lewis Dunk’s shot which was destined for row Z struck Matheus Nunez on the arm. VAR upheld the on-field call, adjudging the City star had it far enough away from his body for it to count as being in an unnatural position.

“It seemed harsh but up stepped Milner — 39 years, seven months and 27 days young — to show all his experience and quality to convert from the spot. In doing so he became the second-oldest goalscorer in Premier League history — only behind Teddy Sheringham, who was 40 at West Ham.

Lewis Dunk volleyed the ball against Matheus Nunes's arm, for which Albion were awarded a penalty. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“Then it was over to Gruda to truly break City hearts and complete a brilliant turnaround on the South Coast.”

The stats around the penalty continued to pile up. Samuel Meade of The Mirror spotted that “Milner became Brighton’s third penalty-taker in as many games and emphatically dispatched his maiden goal for the club,” while on The Daily Mail website, Robert Summerscales noted that “James Milner’s late penalty against Manchester City was significant in more ways than one. At 39 years and 239 days, he has become the oldest penalty scorer in Premier League history. The strike also extended a remarkable personal record: Milner has now scored in 55 Premier League games without ever finishing on the losing side, a tally bettered only by Gabriel Jesus (62).”

Even City’s local paper, the Manchester Evening News, had to admit the justice of the result, despite a minor barb aimed at the Amex crowd. “A quadruple Brighton change on the hour mark completely unsettled City,” wrote Simon Bajkowski, “finally giving the Brighton fans something to cheer about rather than moan about innocuous or fair refereeing decisions. The problem for the Blues wasn't that it changed the game, it was that they had no response to any of it.

“Suddenly there was no contest, City clinging on by their fingertips as Brighton streamed forward again and again. A James Milner penalty got them back on level terms almost instantly and then they went close several times - a terrific save from James Trafford deserved better than to be a footnote in a defeat - before Brajan Gruda put the final nail in their quickly-assembled coffin.”