Manchester City raced out to an early 2-0 lead before holding on for dear life to beat Brighton 2-1 at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
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The victory not only snapped Man City’s two-game losing skid, but also sent Pep Guardiola’s side (21 points) back atop the Premier League table for the time being, with Tottenham still to play in matchweek 9 on Monday. Brighton (16 points) slip one place, down to 7th, following Newcastle’s hammering of Crystal Palace.
The three-time defending champions wasted little time jumping all over Brighton, and they were justly rewarded after just seven minutes. Jeremy Doku jetted past a pair of defenders and danced along the end line before cutting a cross back toward the penalty spot, where Julian Alvarez was lingering and found the top corner with a looping finish out of Jason Steele’s reach.
12 minutes later, it was a needless giveaway off a throw-in that sent Erling Haaland striding toward the penalty area with only one thing on his mind. The big Norwegian’s shot was struck with plenty of power and enough precision to find the bottom corner from 20 yards out, taking his season tally to nine goals, once again two up in the Premier League Golden Boot race (Mohamed Salah).
Brighton made things interesting midway through the second half, as Kaoru Mitoma raced down the left side of the penalty area and sent in a cross that eventually found its way to Ansu Fati, who applied the first-time finish to score his second PL goal of the season.
De Zerbi’s strange selection sees Seagulls start slowly
Perhaps Roberto De Zerbi felt that Evan Ferguson needed a bit of a rest after playing 156 minutes for Ireland over the last week, but his omission from the starting lineup left Brighton unable to relieve pressure during transitional moments and keep possession of the ball early on, and the tone was set for much of the game. Clearly, the plan was to do most of their attacking on the counter — a most un-Brighton-like approach.
Matters were complicated further when Danny Welbeck was forced off through injury after a quarter-hour, with Ferguson coming on to replace. But again, it was all Man City already, and Ferguson’s introduction wouldn’t turn the tide alone. Brighton eventually found their footing sometime after the hour mark, not long after Fati and Billy Gilmour, a pair of technicians and creators, came off the bench. Things got very interesting late on, even before Manuel Akanji’s sending-off in stoppage time, but the lingering sense was that De Zerbi had waited too long to make his changes and affect the game.
What’s next?
Man City will head to Switzerland to take on BSC Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League, before returning to Manchester — Old Trafford, to be exact — for the derby against United on Sunday. Brighton, meanwhile, will welcome Ajax to Amex Stadium on Thursday as they continue their Europa League adventure, followed by a visit from Fulham in Premier League play on Sunday.
Player ratings - Manchester City vs Brighton
Manchester City vs Brighton, final score: 2-1
Goalscorers: Julian Alvarez (7'), Erling Haaland (19'), Ansu Fati (73')
7th minute - GOAL - Julian Alvarez finishes a fantastic assist from Jeremy Doku
19th minute - GOAL - Erling Haaland pounces, capitalizes on Brighton mistake
73rd minute - GOAL - Ansu Fati bags his 2nd Premier League goal to make it 2-1
How to watch Manchester City vs Brighton live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 10am ET (Saturday, Oct. 21)
TV: USA Network
Online: Stream online via NBCSports.com
Manchester City starting lineup
Ortega — Walker, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol — Rodri, Bernardo — Foden, Alvarez, Doku — Haaland
Focus on Manchester City, injury news
OUT: Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring - out until December/January)
Brighton starting lineup
Steele — Milner, Dunk, Igor, March — Gross, Baleba — Adingra, Welbeck, Mitoma — Pedro
Focus on Brighton, injury news
OUT: Julio Enciso (knee), Pervis Estupiñan (thigh), Jakub Moder (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Tariq Lamptey (undisclosed), Igor Julio (knock)
Erling Haaland leads Golden Boot race (again) with 8 goals this season
He might never top his record-breaking debut season for Manchester City, when he scored more goals (36) than he made Premier League appearances (35) last campaign, but Erling Haaland leads the race for the 2023-24 Golden Boot. Son Heung-min and Alexander Isak trail the Norwegian with six goals apiece.