Man City v Brighton & Hove Albion preview: kick-off time, team news and form

Manchester City host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday 28th October 2026, with kick-off at 7.30pm UK time, as the two sides meet in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

A place in the next stage of the competition is on the line, and for both clubs it offers a chance to pick up more silverware potential while also giving squad players some valuable minutes. Manchester City currently sit top of the Premier League, underlining the strength of their domestic form this season, while Brighton will be keen to use this tie to add to their own momentum after a bright run in cup competitions.

In the League Cup specifically, both teams arrive on the back of a win in their last outing: Manchester City beat Norwich City 5-0 at home, and Brighton saw off Manchester United 3-2 away from home. In all competitions, Manchester City's last five games went WLWWL, including a Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain sandwiched between Premier League wins, followed by a loss at Aston Villa. Brighton's last five in all competitions read WWWDL, featuring Premier League wins over Sunderland and Crystal Palace, a draw in the Conference League against Jablonec, and a recent defeat away at Liverpool.

Team news is a significant talking point ahead of this one. Sports Mole report that Enzo Maresca has issued an update on Erling Haaland, confirming the striker is among five Manchester City players set to miss the tie (Sports Mole) (Manchester Evening News). Sports Mole have also been tracking the wider picture with a rundown of Manchester City's injury and suspension list, with Antoine Semenyo and Matheus Nunes among the names mentioned (Sports Mole), while Manchester Evening News carried similar injury details, also referencing Nunes, Ndiaye and Semenyo as part of the squad news heading into the Brighton tie (Manchester Evening News).

There's also been attention on Rayan Ait-Nouri, with Manchester Evening News reporting that Maresca appears to have shifted his thinking on the defender, who is yet to feature in the Premier League this season (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). ManCity.com carried Maresca's own preview of the game along with a squad update (ManCity.com) (ManCity.com), while goalkeeping coach Weaver said City can beat Brighton "no matter what team is picked" (ManCity.com). Manchester Evening News also published a predicted City line-up for the match, with Maresca expected to field a replacement for Haaland (Manchester Evening News), and City's training ground previewed the clash too (ManCity.com). Manchester Evening News noted this is the first leg of a quickfire double-header between the two clubs (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News).

With a daunting festive and European schedule always in the background for both sides, team selection could well shape how the night unfolds, particularly in attack for Manchester City given the players confirmed as unavailable.

Kick-off at the Etihad Stadium is 7.30pm UK time on Wednesday 28th October 2026.

Written with the help of AI, using the match facts and the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.