Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Manchester City will aim to get back to winning ways when they host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Manchester City lost their first game against Liverpool and would be adamant to put out a statement performance when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

With Arsenal not involved until Sunday, Manchester City can reduce the gap to the table toppers with a victory here. Erling Haaland fired a blank against Liverpool, while Phil Foden’s goal was disallowed by VAR.

A moment of madness from Mohamed Salah was too hot to handle for Manchester City, who have set a benchmark for themselves in the last few seasons. Pep Guardiola has always been demanding of his players. And with a chance to pull off a hat-trick of Premier League titles, the visitors just might push their players to the brink.

Brighton’s last win came under current Chelsea manager Graham Potter back in September, and they are winless in their last four Premier League matches. Robert De Zerbi has already outlined what could be expected from his side with a resolute display against Liverpool. And Manchester City’s recent hangover could stay a little longer if they survive another jolt.

Despite their recent debacles, Brighton are quite well placed in the 8th position. And another positive performance on Saturday should uplift their morale. Converting possession into goals has been a major problem for De Zerbi’s men, and they cannot afford to lose any more ground in their battle for a European spot.

Manchester City have not registered a win in the last two matches in all competitions. And with Guardiola aiming to grab universal acclaim this season, Brighton should be aware of the potential fireworks.

Team News & Tactics

Manchester City

Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips are far from getting fit. But John Stones has resumed training and should be included in the Manchester City matchday squad to take on Brighton & Hove Albion.

Ederson Moraes conceded a rare goal last weekend, and he will try to rectify that on Saturday. Manuel Akanji should pave the way for Aymeric Laporte, who is slated to partner with Ruben Dias at the heart of the Manchester City defence. Joao Cancelo will be in his natural position on the right flank, while Nathan Ake continues to deputise in the left-back position.

A midfield trio of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne should be unleashed against Brighton. There have hardly been any players more influential than De Bruyne, and Pep Guardiola will rely on his bankable star once again.

The loss to Liverpool could pave the for a change in the final third, and Jack Grealish could partner Phil Foden on the flanks. Erling Haaland is leading the golden boot list by a mile and should find his scoring boots once again.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Ake; De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Grealish, Haaland, Foden

Brighton & Hove Albion

Jakub Moder and Kaoru Mitoma will not be available to make the trip to the Etihad. Meanwhile, Levi Colwill is a major doubt for Brighton & Hove Albion for the game against Manchester City.

Robert Sanchez’s exploits in the goal should offer him a ticket for the 2022 FIFA World Cup as the Spaniard has been pretty impressive in recent times. Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and Joel Veltman will have the responsibility to put a break on the Manchester City attack.

Leandro Trossard scored a brilliant hat-trick against Liverpool and will try to emulate that again from the left wing-back position. Solly March will try to add more energy from the right wing on Saturday.

Alexis Mac Allister will have the assistance of Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park. Adam Lallana and Pascal Gross will pair up further up in an advanced roles, but Gross will often alternate positions with March. Finally, Danny Welbeck will be the sole striker for Brighton against Manchester City.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster; March, Caicedo, Mac Allister, Trossard; Gross, Lallana; Welbeck

Key Stats

• Manchester City have won nine of their 10 Premier League meetings with Brighton & Hove Albion, with the exception being a 3-2 away loss in May 2021. The Seagulls have never won an away league game against Manchester City. They have lost on ten of their 12 such visits, including each of the last eight by an aggregate score of 21-2.
• Manchester City have won each of their last nine Premier League home games, scoring at least three goals each time. There have only been two longer such runs in English top-flight history, both recorded by Aston Villa (12 between March/December 1897 and 13 between December 1930 and September 1931).
• Brighton & Hove Albion are winless in their last three away league games, losing twice and conceding seven goals. They had won five of their previous seven on the road before this (D1 L1) and had conceded just six goals in that run.
• Brighton remain winless in their four Premier League games under Roberto De Zerbi (D2 L2), failing to score in each of their last three. The last manager to fail to win any of his first five Premier League games was Scott Parker in April 2019, while the last non-English manager to do so was Bob Bradley in November 2016.
• Phil Foden has been involved in six goals in his last four Premier League appearances against Brighton, scoring five and assisting one. A goal here would see him become the first player to score in five consecutive Premier League games against Brighton.

Player to Watch

Erling Haaland

With 15 goals in his tally, Erling Haaland has already demonstrated his capability. And Brighton & Hove Albion’s defence might suffer some severe setbacks on Saturday. The Norwegian striker has taken very little time to acclimatise to the English conditions and will be licking his chops against a shaky Brighton backline.

Prediction

Manchester City 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

Pep Guardiola will be needing an answer from his pack, and this game might be the perfect setup to answer Manchester City’s critics. Brighton & Hove Albion do not seem to have the ability to withstand the hosts’ attacking might and could surrender haplessly. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s men.