(Football news) With two games remaining, Brighton’s 3-1 victory over relegated Southampton guaranteed them a spot in the European league the following season. Albion, who are currently in sixth position, will virtually surely be playing in the Europa League owing to their favourable goal differential, but they still need one more point to eliminate any chance of playing in the Europa Conference League. In what may be their outstanding midfield combination Alexis Mac Allister’s final home game, De Zerbi would love for that point to be earned tonight against the Champions. Both have been strongly linked with moves abroad this summer, with Man United, Liverpool, and Arsenal all reportedly interested.
Following their weekend victory in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola will begin preparing his team for the FA Cup final against Manchester United and the Champions League final against Inter Milan. Without even kicking a ball on, City was declared the champions. For their match against Chelsea on, they made a tonne of changes, resting the majority of their important players, including Ederson, Rodri, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernado Silva and Erling Haaland. Pep Guardiola feels that winning their next two Premier League games against Brighton and Brentford will be the best way for his team to prepare for the finals versus United and Inter.
In order to mathematically guarantee their participation in the Europa League for the upcoming season, Brighton must get one point from their final two games. Since Hull City in 2014, they will be the first English club to participate in European competition the following season. The Seagulls will undoubtedly finish higher than their previous best of ninth place from the previous season in the premier tier.
Albion now has the same number of home victories in a season as they did in 1980–81 (10 victories). Since being promoted to the Premier League in 2017, Brighton has suffered the most midweek defeats with 21. The club’s 10 Premier League goals this season have been scored by teenagers, one more than the other 19 clubs combined. As Brighton’s all-time leading Premier League scorer with 26 goals, Pascal Gross is tied with Glenn Murray and Neal Maupay.
A victory would guarantee Manchester City a record-tying fourth consecutive Premier League season with 90 or more points. Since a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on February 18, they have amassed 12 successive league victories. But this season, City lost five of their seven away Premier League games to opponents in the top half of the standings (W2, D2, L3).
Since losing 2-1 against Leicester City on Boxing Day 2018, Pep Guardiola’s team has won 25 straight league games played on a Wednesday. For the first time since December 2021, the Citizens can keep three straight Premier League clean sheets. After Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Boa Morte, Bernardo Silva is one appearance away from being the third Portuguese player to play in 200 Premier League games. Against Brighton, Phil Foden has scored in each of his four Premier League starts.
Squad updates
Robert Sanchez is still not included in the team, but Adam Webster is well enough to serve as an emergency replacement for Albion. Nathan Ake, a city defender who is recovering from a hamstring injury, is not anticipated to play. Due to “some niggles” in the team, manager Pep Guardiola is expected to make multiple changes to his starting lineup.
H2H
- In 25 league games versus Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion has prevailed four times, all at home.
- With Brighton’s 3-2 victory at home in May 2021 after the visitors had already been named champions, City had prevailed in 10 of the previous 11 Premier League matches.
Predicted Xl
Brighton : Steele, Gross, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan, Caicedo, Gilmour, Enciso, Mac Allister, Mitoma, Ferguson
Manchester City : Ortega, Walker, Laporte, Stones, Phillips, Lewis, Gomez, Foden, Mahrez, Alvarez, Palmer
Predictions
Brighton 1 – 2 Manchester City
Also read: Here’s why Manchester United should not sign Neymar Jr
