Premier League: Now Let’s See What the Sky Blues Are Made Of!

Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion

After a tough weekend of cup football, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are back on the Premier League trail on Wednesday, when Graham Potter’s Brighton are the visitors to the Etihad.

While City crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool, the Seagulls pulled off a shock 1-0 win away to Spurs to put a serious dent in the Whites’ top-four hopes. And the Sky Blues must, at all costs, avoid the same fate…otherwise they could see their domestic season rapidly disappear down the toilet!

By the time Manchester City kick off on Wednesday night they could be second in the table should Liverpool, as expected, beat Manchester United on Tuesday.

The momentum is currently with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, who have already won the Carabao Cup and have an historic quadruple in sight. City’s quest is to win the Premier League and the Champions League, nothing less, and they face a tricky test against the Seagulls in pursuit of this double goal.

Talking Points

City at full strength

No wins in three is something of an oddity in the life of a Manchester City fan and the Etihad faithful will expect that to be put right on Wednesday. Despite their recent trials, the latest Premier League 2022 betting odds still back the Sky Blues as hot favourites with an SBOTOP price of 1.38 to lift a fourth league title in five seasons. 

Guardiola has a fully fit squad to face Brighton and he will be reluctant to rest his big names with three points the imperative. The return from injury of Ruben Dias has added quality to the defence and, after Zack Steffen’s difficult day in the FA Cup, there will doubtless be a return for Ederson between the posts. 

It is in attack midfield and attack where the selection dilemmas appear. The club has operated without a striker this season, and the Sky Blues are in talks with Borussia Dortmund hitman Erling Braut Haaland with a view to a summer swoop.

In the meantime, they will go with what they have, and there are plenty of players wanting to make a claim for a shirt in the front six. Top scorer Kevin de Bruyne is sure to start while one of City’s four captains, Ilkay Gundogan is in line for a place, with Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva also in the frame. Guardiola is yet to see the best of Jack Grealish and this could be the type of game where he can shine.

Add Haaland to that lot and the Sky Blues could be unbeatable next season, but for now they have a tough battle on their hands.

Seagulls back on song 

Graham Potter’s Brighton have played good football again this season and have progressed from being a club usually on the fringe of the relegation battle to one in midtable comfort.  

Brighton’s win over Spurs was not such a surprise as it came in a run of strong Premier League 2022 results which have seen the Seagulls climb into the top half of the league table. But it was particularly impressive in the way Potter’s men frustrated Spurs all-star attack, and then struck when they had the chance.

Leandro Trossard scored a brilliant 90^th-minute winner after Brighton had frustrated Spurs throughout the game, and this was Brighton’s first win away to Spurs since 1981. It also meant the Seagulls completed a North London double, having beaten Arsenal at the Emirates last week.

Tottenham had scored at least twice in their last seven games, but they couldn’t get past a defence marshalled by the excellent Lewis Dunk as Trossard and Joel Veltman made brave blocks to twice deny Heung-Min Son. 

Neal Maupay is the Seagulls’ top scorer with eight goals, but he was an unused substitute in the victory over Spurs. If Potter thinks he can frustrate City as he did Spurs, then Maupay could be the man to apply the sting.  

History

Brighton have failed to win in any of their 11 meetings with the Sky Blues, losing nine and drawing two. City won 4-1 when they visited Brighton for a league date in October as Phil Foden scored a brace.     

In terms of recent form, the two clubs have been going in opposite directions and this throws up a surprising statistic. While Brighton have followed up a run of three losses with a draw and two wins, the Sky Blues have followed up three wins with two draws and a defeat.  

Betting Tip

If you fancy a bet on the Seagulls to peck away at the Sky Blues’ title hopes you can get 16.36 on an away win or 5.22 on a draw. And Brighton are at 2.06 with the 1.75 goals start.

But this is do or die for the Sky Blues and I can’t see the champions slipping up again.  

 

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