Seike's Early Goal Seals Seagulls Win 🔥 | London City Lionesses v Brighton | Barclays WSL 25/26

London City Lionesses hosting Brighton here in South East London. Four points separate these two teams in the table and it's a crucial game for either side. Both in desperate need for points really. In that middle of the WSL table for different reasons. London City on good form having won their last three home games in the WSL. New to the league this season they've certainly made an impact. Brighton on the other hand have not won on the road in three having recorded their best league position last year. We can get the two lineups today. So for London City Lionesses an unchanged team but jostling pressure. Elena Leto in goal having played in every WSL match. Gianna Fernandes in the back line having won the Nations League with Spain last week. Kozovaria Zvani in the ever-present experienced Swedish international captain in the middle. And the formidable Nikita Paris and Isabel Goodwin leading the line for London City today. For Brighton it's three changes after they put four goals past Leicester City last time out. Ndozi between the sticks. Vanegas and Caitlin Hayes come back into the defensive back line alongside Milanovi who celebrates her birthday today. Maisie Simons captains from the middle alongside Rosa Kafaji who returns to the starting eleven having scored in the international break for Sweden. And the American striker Madison Haley and Seke lead the line. Paris pickpocketed and now Seke is in and Seke opens it up for Brighton. A mistake at the back from Paris giving the ball away and it's an early opener for Brighton and Hove Albion. Seke slotting it past Leicester in goal and Brighton lead London City 0 Brighton 1. Seke has been so dominant in front of goal this season and she's shown that again here. A turnover in the final third is always hard to defend against and yeah puts it home really nicely. The London City will be disappointed to concede so early but there's plenty of time to fight back. It's walking it forward playing out from the back Brighton. Oh Paris has picked it out, Paris strikes. Oh brilliant save from Ndozi. A fingertip to it and just pushes it over the bar. What a strike from Nikita Paris. It's very similar to the goal that Brighton just scored winning the ball on the turnover. Paris good defending from Brighton and just wide of the post. Good defending from Brighton there, defending their lines. But it's a poor pass out Seke looking for a second and Madison Haley is brought down. It's going to be a penalty. I mean we're the curators of our own downfall there really. We need to be tidier when we're playing out. Sengare giving that penalty away on Madison Haley. Madison Haley, referee blows her whistle. Haley right footed shot, saved brilliantly from Lete. And she celebrates with her team. What a brilliant save from the London City goalkeeper denying Brighton. Alene read that perfectly and got a really good strong hand to that and she'll be really, really proud of that save and she should be. Poor pass out, here's Nikita Paris and she stayed on side. Gayoro, saved. And an opportunity for London City to get back on level terms is denied once again by Ndodze. London City, they're more dominant really in terms of attacking. They have had their opportunities to get back level here at home. Still pressing and a brilliant through ball from Aslani into Imran. She's on side, calls for it inside the box, cuts it back. And a leg out by Hayes. We said at the start of the game, Rafia Imran is so dominant down the side there. She's with her pace, she's so unbelievably fast. As she takes that touch in, Izzi has to slow down that run and it makes that so difficult for her to get on that ball. Nice play from City, pressuring high. Aslani driving through, trying to get through the yellow shirts. Can't get a powerful shot off and up. And Ndodze, again with a two-handed save. It's a tidy save but a save that she should be making. Kumagai, trying to find a run of a player breaking the line. Picked it out again. Here come Brighton though and Seikei, she breaks the line at the other end. Seikei trying to cut it back and it loops up and over. And it's wide. Really, really good challenge there from Lanari to deny Seikei there as she ran through. So, an opportunity for Brighton to double their lead. It's a wide cross in. Hayley with a head up and it just loops over. Caelan Hayes has been so dominant in the air all game, especially from set pieces. That was really, really dangerous. What's he like as a manager, Emily? His personality, his personable approach as a manager really helps him amalgamate the team. And I think you see that in the performances of the players. Everyone's working together and wanting to deliver the same goal. And that's to win as many games as possible. Swung in near post. Hits the body of Goodwin and recycled for Brighton. Swung back in at the far post this time and headed out by Lanari. Body on the line and keeps her team in this. A poor little bit in the net there, but that's so important and such a difficult header to do, to head that not only away from goal, but not in the goal. Brighton still on the attack though now. Costin again, saved on the line from Lete. And then scrambles and collects and falls to the ground. Not sure that was a shot. But if it goes in the goal, I'm sure she would have claimed it. But an important save there from a really awkward angle. London City really just need a sustained bit of possession to build their confidence. Good play from Fernandes. Here comes Godfrey on the attack now. City. Godfrey goes to goal. Oh, and it's just wide. A brilliant strike from the England international. That was so similar to the goal she scored that she's up for a goal of the month. Taking it onto her left foot and trying to curl it into that corner. As Lani. Imran again. Good play from her. Isabel Goodwin charging down. Crosses it in. Defended. Paris is on the floor. Can't get a strike away. Still alive for London City. Fernandes has a strike. Finds Godfrey. Fernandes again. Goes for the strike and it's straight to the gloves of the Brighton goalkeeper. But what a play from London City. So, so close. Great ball from Rofiat. She's been so strong down that left side. So close there for Nikita Paris. She's going to be so frustrated with that one. But the girls did well to keep it alive. Zelem. Godfrey and London City now finding some spark. Finding some momentum. Godfrey dancing into the penalty area. Cuts back. She goes for the strike in the end. And a good save again from N'Zozi. London City are really finding their feet now and applying a lot of pressure on Brighton. Well, there is the full-time whistle. And it's going to be Seke the difference. Brighton have beaten London City at home by a goal to nil. And the travelling fans on the left going absolutely wild. Brighton get the job done. Seke the difference. They had a penalty saved early on too. And London City thought they could get back into this in the second half. But a lot of work to do. They had to fight for it. Brighton to keep this win. And it's a good day for Dario Vinicic and Brighton in the end. It's finished here. London City lionesses nil. Brighton won. It was really not a good day for us. I think if we come back, if we score at least one of these big chances in the first half, the game could have been different. Unfortunately, we didn't. So it means we need to recover, take the lesson, then ready to respond for the last game before the break. Sometimes it can't always be perfect. So we have to learn to win when it's not going all our way. And technically, when we're not connecting the passes that we normally do. And then I think probably that finding our feet again after nearly three, four weeks' time since our last game. Probably that all played a factor. But yeah, really proud of the girls' effort today. Big three points. And we look forward to next week's challenge against Chelsea now.