Brighton & Hove Albion will host Manchester City in the Premier League on Wednesday night, with both teams reaching their objectives for the season.
Brighton & Hove Albion have managed to secure their place in the Europa League next season, and they have nothing left to play for ahead of the visit of Manchester City. However, they will want to end the season on a high and give the home fans more reasons to celebrate.
The Seagulls are sixth in the league table and come into the game on the back of four wins from the last six league matches. On the other hand, Manchester City have been on a tear, and they are in rampant form right now.
They will look to grind out an away win on Wednesday, despite having nothing to play for. Manchester City have already secured the Premier League title, and it remains to be seen whether the players can stay motivated enough to put on a winning performance here.
With the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan coming up, Manchester City could look to rest the key players for these matches. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Bring on the #PL champions… 👊🔜 pic.twitter.com/OpW5M9fKiv
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) May 23, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
The home side will be without the services of Solly March, Jakub Moder, Jeremy Sarmiento and Tariq Lamptey because of injuries. Brighton are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jason Steele in goal.
Joel Veltman and Pervis Estupinan will be deployed as the full-backs here. The two players will look to keep the defensive unit compact and contribute offensively during counter-attacks. Lewis Dunk will start at the heart of the defence alongside Levi Colwill.
Pascal Gross should start alongside Moises Caicedo in the midfield double pivot. While Caicedo will look to break up the opposition’s play, Gross will look to add creativity and drive to the side.
Julio Enciso and Kaoru Mitoma will be deployed as the wingers here. The two players will look to add pace and flair to the side. Alexis Mac Allister will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Evan Ferguson will lead the line for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Moder, Caicedo; Enciso, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson
Manchester City
Manchester City do not have any notable injury concerns ahead of this game, and they expected to field a second-string lineup given two important finals coming their way. Stefan Ortega is set to start in goal behind a battery of Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Aymeric Laporte.
Rico Lewis and Sergio Gomez are likely to be deployed as the wing-backs. The two players will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Kalvin Phillips will start in the central midfield alongside Phil Foden.
Phillips will look to break up the opposition play and Foden and will add creativity in the middle of the park. Finally, Julian Alvarez is likely to lead the line here, with Riyad Mahrez and Cole Palmer on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Ortega; Dias, Akanji, Laporte; Lewis, Phillips, Foden, Gomez; Mahrez, Alvarez, Palmer
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have won 11 of their last 12 matches against Brighton & Hove Albion in all competitions.
- 23 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Brighton have picked up four wins from the last six league matches.
- Brighton have scored 15 goals in the last six matches and they have conceded 10 in that time.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
World Cup ✅
Premier League ✅
FA Cup❓
Champions League❓Julian Alvarez could finish this season with a QUADRUPLE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/F68Bp7SYsm
— GOAL (@goal) May 22, 2023
The Argentine striker is likely to start with Erling Haaland rested, keeping the upcoming games in mind. Alvarez, who has recently emerged as a target for Real Madrid, has been outstanding whenever called upon. And he managed to get on the score sheet against Chelsea in the last outing as well.
The 23-year-old has been a useful player for club and country this season, and he will look to continue his rich vein of form and get on the scoresheet here. Alvarez has 17 goals across all competitions for Manchester City, and he is our player to watch out for.
Prediction
Brighton 1-2 Manchester City
Both teams will be lacking in motivation here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Brighton have nothing to play for, and they are unlikely to be at their best. Although Manchester City are in a similar position, they have more quality at their disposal and they should be able to edge this one.
Furthermore, the visitors have the players on the bench to change things around if needed. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Manchester City here.
