Brighton fell to the Gunners in their opening match, Arsenal's lone triumph in the WSL thus far, and collected no wins across their first four league fixtures with Ruiz in charge.

The 29-year-old secured his initial top-flight success ahead of the international window by routing newly promoted Charlton 5-1.

This Sunday Brighton head to champions Manchester City, who have taken all five WSL fixtures this term, in a contest shown live on BBC Two at 14:30 BST.

It marks the first meeting between the sides since City prevailed 4-0 in the FA Cup final during May.

A seven-time WSL champion with Chelsea, Kirby admitted the 2026-27 season has proved challenging so far.

We have no illusions about the difficult opening, she noted, with the manager arriving late and the squad adapting to his approach proving tough so near the start. People ask who we face after the break and it is Man City, yet we try not to dwell on that.

Under Vidosic Brighton aimed to control possession and in his debut campaign they ranked behind only Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in average ball retention.

The side was also robust, recording the highest foul count and yellow-card tally across both 2024-25 and 2025-26.

They absorbed pressure before building from the back, overloaded midfield areas and carried a genuine goal threat, journalist Annabel Bassett of The Brighton Base observed, and everything aligned.

That led to their first FA Cup final appearance in May where they began brightly before being overwhelmed.

Vidosic's exit dented hopes of further gains, though Ruiz's record of guiding unfancied Real Sociedad to Champions League qualification via a third-place Liga F finish last term brings optimism.

The start has been sluggish. After the Arsenal loss Brighton surrendered points to lowly Birmingham City and Aston Villa despite encouraging displays.

Two League Cup victories offered respite and the emphatic Charlton result indicates Ruiz's methods are taking hold.

We still aim to play forward, Kirby added, yet the focus now lies on hurting opponents more rapidly rather than overplaying when direct options exist.

Changing mindsets quickly is hard but the group is strong and I respond best to clear instructions.

Bassett has seen the emphasis on possession intensify further under the new coach, who stresses nullifying rivals, winning the ball high and using wide threats to create central space while showing willingness to experiment.

Ruiz himself remains positive about progress, stating he is pleased with performances and the work done despite the points shortfall and the challenge of building identity without prior preparation time.

He hopes for greater solidity and consistency from Sunday onward.

The Charlton win proved vital before the pause, especially with City on a club-record 15-match home winning streak.

They are a quality outfit, Kirby said, where stopping one player simply allows others to emerge, yet Brighton possess the quality to trouble sides and aim to deliver a strong display.