Manchester City will host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad on Saturday, eager to bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Nottingham Forest last week.
Manchester City are currently fifth in the Premier League table, and they will be pushing for UEFA Champions League qualification for the next season, making the game vs Brighton & Hove Albion all the more crucial.
The Premier League champions cannot afford to keep dropping points at this stage of the season, and they will look to grind out a positive result at home. On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion are coming into this game on the back of four consecutive Premier League victories, and they will look to pull off an upset here.
Manchester City have been quite inconsistent this season, and the visitors will certainly fancy their chances here. The home team have an impressive record against Brighton, and they are unbeaten in five of the last six meetings between the two teams.
With that said, Brighton & Hove Albion managed to beat Manchester City in the reverse fixture back in November, and they will hope to complete a league double over the champions. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Manchester City will be without Rodri due to a knee injury. John Stones and Manuel Akanji will miss out with thigh and groin injuries, respectively. Nathan Ake has an ankle injury.
Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ruben Dias will form the central defensive partnership alongside Abdukodir Khusanov.
As for the midfield unit, llkay Gundogan will add control and composure to the side from the deep. Nico Gonzalez will add creativity and control alongside him. Kevin De Bruyne will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden will start in the wide areas, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Erling Haaland is set to lead the line for Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Khusanov, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Gonzalez; Foden, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Brighton & Hove Albion
The away side will be without James Milner due to a thigh injury, Igor Julio due to a hamstring injury, Jason Steele due to a shoulder injury, Lewis Dunk due to a chest problem, Joel Veltman due to an ankle injury, and Ferdi Kadioglu with an ankle issue.
Brighton & Hove Albion will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Tariq Lamptey and Pervis Estupinan will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact at the back and hit Manchester City on the break. Jan Paul van Hecke will start at the heart of the defence alongside Adam Webster.
As for the midfield unit, Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba will start in the double pivot, and they will look to win the ball back for their side and break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Simon Adingra and Kaoru Mitoma will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side. Joao Pedro will spearhead the Brighton attack vs Manchester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Lamptey, van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Adingra, Rutter, Mitoma; Pedro
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last eight home matches vs Brighton & Hove Albion across all competitions.
- 19 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between the two teams.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Brighton & Hove Albion’s last 5 games in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won four Premier League matches in a row.
- Manchester City have lost three of their last five Premier League matches.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian striker has been in phenomenal form this season, and he will look to continue his goalscoring run against Brighton & Hove Albion. The visitors have been quite vulnerable defensively, and they have conceded 40 goals in 28 Premier League matches.
Manchester City have the creativity and cutting edge in the final third to trouble Brighton, and Haaland will look to trouble the away defence with his movement and finishing ability. Manchester City will depend on him to find the back of the net and help them grind out a victory.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Both teams will look to pick up all three points here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Neither side are defensive in their approach, and there is likely to be a substantial amount of chances for either side.
Both Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to get on the score sheet here. However, the hosts have more quality and depth in the final third, and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
