Premier League GW9 - Manchester City vs Brighton

Manchester City vs Brighton | Photo Credits: Getty Images

High-Stakes Clash at the Etihad Stadium

The stakes were high for both clubs going into the game, with Brighton looking to snap their winless skid and City looking to avenge back-to-back league losses.

City's Determination to Bounce Back

Manchester City welcomed Brighton to the Etihad Stadium in an effort to avoid suffering a third straight Premier League loss after losses to Arsenal and Wolves. The defending champions have dominated at home, winning 20 of their past 22 games across all leagues. The game was vital since a win for the Sky Blues would have given them the opportunity to finish first in the league standings. The team was additionally inspired by the fact that they hadn't dropped three straight Premier League contests since 2016.

Brighton's Challenge Against the Champions

Brighton, led by Roberto De Zerbi, sought to advance and maybe qualify for the Champions League. They were up against the English champs, so their task was anything but simple. The Seagulls had lost their previous four games, and after 13 attempts (D2 L11), they had yet to defeat Manchester City on the road in a league encounter. After a difficult run of form, a victory versus City might provide them the much-needed confidence boost.

Starting Lineups:

Manchester City (4-2-3-1):

• Stefan Ortega; Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Kyle Walker; Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Jeremy Doku, Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden; Erling Haaland.
  

Manchester City Substitutes:

• Ruben Dias, Kalvin Phillips, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish, Sergio Gomez, Matheus Nunes, Ederson, Rico Lewis.
  

Brighton (4-2-3-1):

• Jason Steele; Solly March, Igor Julio, Lewis Dunk, James Milner; Pascal Gross, Carlos Baleba; Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck, Simon Adingra; Joao Pedro.
  

Brighton Substitutes:

• Bart Verbruggen, Adam Webster, Mahmoud Dahoud, Billy Gilmour, Adam Lallana, Evan Ferguson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Ansu Fati, Joel Veltman.
  

First Half: Manchester City Takes Control

Welbeck started the game for Brighton at the Etihad as the action got underway. The action got going quickly, and City quickly took the lead. Doku started a fantastic series of events by dribbling past the defenders for Brighton and setting up Alvarez for the goal-scoring opportunity.

After Silva fouled Baleba in midfield, setting up Haaland for a tremendous goal from outside the area, City didn't stop there; they doubled their advantage.

Second Half: Brighton's Fightback

In the second half, Brighton attempted to make a comeback. Gross received a great throughball from Adingra, but the Brighton midfielder was unable to connect with the goal.

The Seagulls' efforts were rewarded when Fati scored their first goal by capitalising on a mistake. The game's thrilling conclusion was made possible by the late goal.

Full-Time: City Holds On for a 2-1 Victory

City defeated Brighton at the Etihad by a score of 2-1 despite some late drama. Alvarez and Haaland gave the Sky Blues the early advantage, but Brighton responded with a goal from Fati. Despite Manchester City's Akanji being sent in stoppage time, the defence stood firm. While Brighton looks to bounce back against Ajax in the Europa League, Guardiola's team will carry their momentum into their matchup against Young Boys in the Champions League.