Manchester City host Brighton in a showdown in the 29th round of the 2024-25 Premier League season. It was a stunning free-kick from Stefano Estupina that City goalkeeper Josep Ortega did not react as he watched the ball into the net.
City took the lead in the eighth minute. Marmusch was tackled by Webster after storming into the area and the referee awarded a penalty. Haaland hit the penalty for Manchester City first. However, Brighton did not let this discourage them, and the rest of the game showed a tenacious fight.
In the 22nd minute, Brighton got a free kick on the right side of the field. Estupinan came out and he took the free kick with a powerful left-foot shot. The ball curled beautifully through the air before hitting the post and bouncing into the net. The whole time, Ortega barely made any saves, just watched the ball into the net.
Paul Merson commented on the goal: “It was a fantastic free-kick! Ortega didn’t move, the ball bounced off the post, he just took a step, he didn’t even take off.” Guardiola was also dissatisfied with Ortega’s performance, after all, as a goalkeeper should have made at least some saves against such a shot.
Laura Hunter, a well-known journalist who watched the match, said: “In slow motion, the shot almost missed the post. It was a very precise shot from Estupinan and he managed to get the ball into the dead end.” The goal was certainly a demonstration of Estupignan’s outstanding footwork and free-kick skills and brought the crowd to their feet.
