Manchester City vs Brighton. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more

Manchester City FC will host Brighton and Hove Albion FC in the English Premier League 9th round match at the Etihad Stadium. The fixture will take place on Saturday, October 21, beginning at 19:30 IST.

Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

Manchester City News & Current Form: 

Manchester City had a great last season, having won the treble, taking the first place in the Emirates FA Cup, Premier League and finally the UEFA Champions League for the first time in history, making City the best team in the world at the moment. 

The Citizens have also dominated the domestic scene with three wins in the last three Premier League draws. It is no wonder that the hosts are the favorites for the 2023/2024 campaign as well. 

Guardiola’s side started this season by losing on penalties in the FA Community Shield to Arsenal FC. After that, the club won the UEFA Super Cup, defeating Sevilla FC in a series of 11-meter kicks.

The club has lost three of its last five games, against Newcastle United FC in the Carabao Cup (1:0) and then two in a row in the EPL. A 1:2 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers FC was unexpected, but a defeat to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal was no less of a shock. 

The away game turned out to be very difficult for the reigning champions. Pep Guardiola’s team failed to pick up points at the Emirates – a 0:1 defeat. The Gunners didn’t just put up a fight, but outshot City in terms of shots on goal and got the better of them in the end thanks to a goal from Gabriel Martinelli and a pass from Kai Havertz. 

As a result, the Citizens lost their lead in the Premier League table and dropped to third place, having 18 points, 2 points behind Arsenal and leading Tottenham Hotspur FC. 

But the team had a successful meeting in the Champions League with RB Leipzig (1:3). There the Blues dominated the game, although there were difficulties in the scoreline. The Germans equalized in the 48th minute, and the Citizens scored the winning goal only in the 84th minute. Before that there was also a victory over Serbian FK Crvena Zvezda (3:1).

Jack Grealish at EURO 2024 qualification matches

Pep Guardiola’s wards themselves return to the top division of England from the national teams to the squad in different moods. On the one hand Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish, who guaranteed the English participation in the UEFA EURO 2024 after the victory over Italy. 

On the other hand, it is humanly pitiful for Erling Haaland and his fellow countrymen: a direct entry to the European Championship is no longer possible for them even with such a star player. The 0:1 defeat to Spain means that only a miracle in the UEFA Nations League can help the Norwegians qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2000, but they have to get there first.

Kevin De Bruyne, who suffered a serious injury earlier in the season, is still unavailable this weekend. The Belgian will have to wait a few more weeks before he is available. However, there are no other absentees, as Spanish full-back Rodri has served his suspension and should return to the starting lineup immediately, along with Mateo Kovacic. 

Brighton News & Current Form: 

Last season Brighton experienced a change of coach – Graham Potter left for promotion to Chelsea FC (where he failed – though the Blues are still failing without him). However, Roberto de Zerbi, who came in to replace him, has fit into the team even better than the successful Potter. The Seagulls climbed to sixth place in the Europa League and were a nasty opponent for almost any team, taking points away from many of the top sides. 

The current campaign of the EPL Brighton started with five wins in six rounds, including those over Newcastle and Manchester United FC, but then the club was unexpectedly smashed by Aston Villa FC (1:6). 

In general, for the last six matches De Zerbi’s wards have won only once, having suffered defeats in the UEFA Europa League from AEK FC (2:3) and in the League Cup from Chelsea, and then played a draw with Olympique de Marseille (2:2) and Liverpool FC.

Player Kaoru Mitoma extended his contract with Brighton till 2027

The duel of the eighth round of the English championship with the Reds pleased everyone with four effective strikes, but did not reveal the winner (2:2). The Seagulls opened the scoring on 20 minutes, then conceded two goals from Mohamed Salah (one from a penalty), then equalized with an effort from Lewis Dunk only 12 minutes before the end of the main time of the second half.

At the moment, the club is one of the worst teams of the top division in terms of goals conceded, ahead of only three teams in the relegation zone. At the same time, Brighton occupies the same sixth place, where it finished last year, as it compensates for the weak defense with a luxurious attack: for eight rounds the team scored 21 goals and leads in this indicator. 

Brighton will be without key left-back Pervis Estupiñán, playmaker Julio Enciso and long-absent midfielder Jakub Moder, all of whom are injured. Japanese Kaoru Mitoma (3 goals and 3 assists), German midfielder Pascal Gross (2 goals) and Irish prodigy Evan Ferguson (4 goals) are likely to be in the starting lineup on Saturday. 

Manchester City form guide: W-W-L-L-W-L

Brighton form guide: L-W-L-L-D-D

Manchester City vs Brighton Head-To-Head Record:

• October 23, 2021: Brighton 1 – 4 Manchester City (Premier League);
• April 20, 2022: Manchester City 3 – 0 Brighton (Premier League);
• October 22, 2022: Manchester City 3 – 1 Brighton (Premier League);
• May 24, 2023: Brighton 1 – 1 Manchester City (Premier League).

Manchester City vs Brighton Predicted XI:

Manchester City’s possible starting lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Foden, Alvarez, Grealish; Haaland.

Brighton’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Webster, March; Baleba, Gross; Adingra, Pedro, Mitoma; Ferguson.

Statistical preview of the match Manchester City vs Brighton:

• City’s First XI average age is 28.0 years, Brighton’s First XI average age is 26.8 years.
• The total value of Manchester’s squad is 1.26 bln euros, while the value of Brighton is 468 mln euros.
• Robert Jones has been appointed as the center referee. The referee has already served eight games this season, showing an average of 5 Yellow Cards and also whistles 26.63 fouls per game.
• Manchester City have scored 3 goals or less in 13 of their last 15 games in the EPL.
• The Citizens have a 13-match winning streak on their home field in the Premier League. In these duels, the team only 2 times scored less than two goals. 
• Both teams have scored in 12 previous Brighton matches in the EPL.
• Brighton has a 10-match away series without draws in the EPL (5 wins and 5 defeats). 
• Manchester City have not lost in 12 of their last 14 matches against this opponent.
• In the last 5 games, Brighton conceded an average of 2.40 goals per game and scored an average of 1.60 goals per game.
• In the last 5 games Manchester City conceded an average of 1.00 goals per game and scored an average of 1.20 goals per game.

What has been said before the match:

Head coach of Manchester City Pep Guardiola praised the opponent’s coach and style of playing:

“Last season was really good too, that’s why they qualified for Europe. Some decisions against them in the last games could fight for CL. They continue at the same level.”

“We don’t play in a similar way, they are unique for the way they play. We are aggressive without the ball, high pressing, we want the ball like they want it but they way they play they do it.”

“De Zerbi is a handsome man. I admire it doesn’t matter the team they face, they play the way. He comes from Italy, how he plays is a little counter-cultural, he was at Sassuolo and it doesn’t matter if it’s San Siro or Turin he plays the same way. Then he was at Shakhtar and Shaktar had to win. At Brighton, he’s doing the same.

“I like to watch his team play and it’s not a surprise the success his side has, even when they lose 6:1 to Aston Villa it doesn’t matter if he plays his own style. It doesn’t matter. It will be one of the toughest tests we have and we will try to go for it.”

“He’s converting Brighton into a top club, Mac Allister has gone, Colwill gone, and they continue to play at a good level. The simple things they do perfectly and they have exceptional players of course but I have the feeling with them they’re better.”

“Always they find the right man, the right man in the right position to have the man free. I see football this way. As a team that plays so slow then after so quick with the counter attack. They play perfectly with two rhythms and that’s why they’re a success. I have the feeling they control the game, they can lose of course but they can do it.”

Roberto De Zerbi, gaffer of Brighton and Hove Albion, about a challenge his team faces:

“Pep is the best coach in the world. He’s a reference not only for me but for all coaches in the world and I’m happy when I hear him speak about me. It’s an honor but we are not a big team yet. We have passion and we need to show a lot this season. It’s very difficult preparing to play City. It’s the toughest game and they want to keep the ball like us. It’s a tough challenge.” 

“It was Evan Ferguson’s birthday yesterday. He’s only 19 and he’s already scored in the Premier League. The future is for him. “He has improved and in the next six games, he can be very important. He has different qualities and characteristics to other attackers.” 

Manchester City vs Brighton Prediction:

City will be taking on Brighton. The very same City who have lost 3 of their last 4 matches, including a 1-0 defeat at the hands of their direct rivals in the title race – Arsenal – in the last round. What unites all these matches is 1.5 facts, or rather factors – the matches were away plus the absence of pivotal Rodri. Today, none of these facts are in place, but we should take into consideration that another keystone in center – De Bruyne – is still sidelined. Still, all the required resources are in plenty, and the Sky Blues will be vicious – they will give their 110% and last face-to-face matches at the Etihad ended 3-1 and 3-0.

Brighton’s backline has been astonishingly horrendous in the current EPL campaign, conceding an average of 2 goals per game (the level of relegation candidates). And this “untapped breach” is expected to nullify the efforts of the league’s best attack, which is averaging 2.6 goals per 90 minutes. The caliber of opposition here is qualitatively superior to many previous opponents.Manchester City’s all-action stellar attack, led by prolific Erling Haaland, should exploit their opponents’ vulnerability and have a few goals scored. 

The Seagulls are in for a tough match. From the start, City will go forward and will most likely manage to score about 2 goals. De Zerby’s boys will not sit back in defense or play for a draw, they can create a lot of problems in counterattacks with their quick flanks, which can lead to a number of decent goal scoring chances. Pep and his boys are going into the match hoping to turn the tide in front of a home crowd of thousands to get back on the winning ways in the Premier League and the match is set to produce plenty of goals. 

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: Manchester City will win and the total of goals scored will be over 2.5 – Yes.

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