Will the Cityzens miss out on another win?
A three-way battle is developing at the top of the table. A win would be very important for the Skyblues in the Manchester City vs. Brighton tip. Together with Aston Villa (both on 42 points), Pep Guardiola and his professionals are chasing the current league leaders from London.
The Cityzens recently stumbled, missing out on wins against both Sunderland (0-0) and Chelsea (1-1). The late equalizer against the Blues ended the second-placed team’s run of eight consecutive PL home wins. The home side will be keen to get back to winning ways with a victory in the Manchester City vs. Brighton prediction.
At first glance, the upcoming match should be a feasible task. Fabian Hürzeler and his club are in the middle of the table (10th). However, the dream of participating in European competition is far from over. In the English top flight, the clubs are extremely close together and the gap to fifth place is only three points.
The clarity in the Manchester City vs. Brighton betting odds is frightening for the Seagulls. A win for Guardiola’s protégés would only be conceivable as a betting option in conjunction with an odds boost. However, the home side have been waiting for a win for three direct comparisons. In this respect, better alternatives come to mind.
Since their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on November 22, the Skyblues have not lost a PL game. The Cityzens are definitely solid, even if they have missed out on victory in the last two matchdays in a row. It will be exciting to see how the two attacking lines perform.
The home side have been pulling apart opposing defenses in a variety of ways this season. The result: no other team in the English top flight has scored more expected goals (37.7 xG). The visitors are surprisingly strong in attack (32.4 xG), so we have to believe the Seagulls are capable of scoring at least one goal.
Manchester City – Brighton Head-to-head record
Pep Guardiola rubbed his eyes in irritation after the last meeting. On matchday 3 of the current season, the Cityzens squandered a 1-0 lead against the Seagulls. James Milner equalized from the penalty spot, followed by a late winner in the 89th minute from Brajan Gruda. It was the third winless game for the Skyblues against Brighton (1D, 2L).
However, the second-placed team is not trembling ahead of the upcoming match. Manchester City has not lost any of its 15 previous league matches against Brighton (12W, 3D). Added to this is their magnificent home record this season (8W, 1D, 1L), which only the two other title contenders can compete with.
Manchester City – Brighton Tip
It would be a massive surprise if Hürzeler’s side were to take three points from the Etihad Stadium. Brighton have returned home from their last seven Premier League away games without a win. In addition, only three teams have conceded more expected goals than the visitors (13.66 xGA) since the beginning of December.
Now, one could argue that Erling Haaland has been going through a bit of a dry spell lately. The Norwegian has been waiting for a goal for three Premier League appearances. But: Never before has the 19-goal striker gone four consecutive starts in a top flight without scoring.
His performances have been good recently, and against Chelsea, the 25-year-old only failed to score after a powerful left-footed shot from 15 meters that hit the top corner. Added to this is his penchant for scoring against the Seagulls. Haaland has scored in each of the four previous direct encounters with the Seagulls in the English top flight.
In addition, Hürzeler’s protégés seem unsettled away from home. Brighton have conceded two goals in three consecutive PL away games. The tenth-placed team will probably have to rely on their own offensive play.
