Brighton's high‑press and plus‑one defence confound Manchester City

Fabian Hurzeler guided St Pauli to promotion to the Bundesliga before joining Brighton in June 2024.

He declared, “We have a great chance on Saturday to take revenge,” as Brighton were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester City.

The following Saturday, his 33‑year‑old side secured a 1‑0 win over the same opponents, ending City’s 23‑match streak of scoring at home.

The triumph lifted Brighton to third place in the Premier League, behind Manchester City and league leaders Arsenal, both of whom they have already beaten this season.

Goal output and defensive solidity

Brighton have netted 24 goals in nine games, the highest tally in the division.

They have also allowed only seven goals, a defensive record better than every team except Arsenal.

From opposition goal‑kicks Brighton press high using a man‑to‑man system.

Their intensity across the pitch makes the execution of this high press superior to most rivals.

The opposition can gain an extra player in the build‑up if they employ their goalkeeper as a passing outlet.

Brighton counter this by having an attacker abandon the centre‑back he was marking, curving his run to cut off the passing angle.

The rest of the team continues to mark their direct opponents individually.

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Man‑to‑man press and the plus‑one system

Occasionally the attacking side is left with an unmarked player in a hard‑to‑reach zone, such as a full‑back or winger on the far side.

Brighton deliberately accept this risk, believing an extra pressing body near the ball outweighs the danger of the unmarked opponent.

By keeping the unmarked player distant from the ball, they reduce the chance of that player being exploited.

By crowding the ball with more bodies, they increase the likelihood of winning possession.

Maxim de Cuyper curves his run as he presses Gianluigi Donnarumma.

This makes it difficult for the goalkeeper to pass to Abdukodir Khusanov.

With the right‑hand angle blocked, Brighton also leave Matheus Nunes, the far‑side full‑back, unmarked, judging him hard to reach.

Down City’s left flank, Brighton press man‑to‑man.

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Unlike most teams that revert to zonal defending near their own goal, Brighton retain a man‑to‑man approach, often adding a “plus‑one” defender when pressed deeper.

If opponents commit four forwards high up the pitch, Brighton respond with a back five.

Their two guiding principles are to keep a plus‑one in defence and to congest the centre of the pitch.

In possession, Enzo Maresca instructed right‑back Matheus Nunes to push forward and operate like a right‑sided striker.

Hurzeler has deployed Maxim de Cuyper as a left winger this season, although the Belgian has spent most of his career at left‑back.

This background gives De Cuyper the work‑rate and defensive awareness to cope with modern roaming full‑backs.

In a man‑to‑man system De Cuyper shadowed Nunes into a higher position, eventually slotting into left centre‑back as Brighton formed a back five.