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Manchester City logo
Premier League | Gameweek 4
Aug 31, 2019 at 3pm UK
 
Brighton logo

4-0

De Bruyne (2'), Aguero (42', 55'), Silva (79')
FT(HT: 2-0)

How Manchester City could line up against Brighton & Hove Albion

Sports Mole looks at how Manchester City could line up for Saturday's Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Manchester City host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League as the reigning champions seek to claim their first home win of the season.

Pep Guardiola's men kicked off their home domestic campaign with a thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur which saw the home side, just like in the Champions League back in April, score an injury-time winner only for VAR to overturn the decision.

Brighton, on the other hand, head into this game knowing that victory would constitute nothing short of a miracle, with City losing at home on just one occasion last season.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Citizens could line up for Saturday's showdown.



Possible MNC XI vs. BHA

Out: Leroy Sane (knee), Gabriel Jesus (thigh), Benjamin Mendy (knee)
Doubtful: John Stones (thigh)

> Click here for City's full injury and suspension list ahead of this match.

Ederson produced a costly positional mistake to afford Spurs an equaliser earlier this month, but Guardiola's faith in the Brazilian - especially his passing - renders him an indispensable presence at the back.

With John Stones a doubt for this game, Guardiola is likely to remain with the trusted defensive pairing of Nicolas Otamendi and Aymeric Laporte, who have started City's last two league games and will play an important role in setting the tempo against Brighton's low block by moving the ball through the lines quickly.

Out wide, youngster Oleksandr Zinchenko has made the left-back position his own in the absence of Mendy, producing disciplined displays cutting in from the left to interact with the midfield. On the right, Kyle Walker could be rested for new signing Joao Cancelo, who was bought in order to put pressure on the Englishman.

Fernandinho is an almost constant presence in the City lineup but his qualities are not exactly suited to this game, which will be played almost exclusively in Brighton's half, meaning the more attack-minded Ilkay Gundogan will occupy the base of midfield.

The front five largely writes itself, with David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne virtually irreplaceable in attacking midfield - both were excellent during the win over AFC Bournemouth at the weekend.

Moreover, Sergio Aguero, who netted a brace last time out, looks set to be accompanied by the dizzying technical quality of Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva on either side as Guardiola's men target a convincing home victory in response to falling short against Spurs.

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Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring their fourth goal against Watford on May 18, 2019
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool15113131131836
2Chelsea16104237191834
3Arsenal1686229151430
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest168442119228
5Manchester CityMan City168352823527
6Bournemouth167452421325
7Aston Villa167452425-125
8Fulham166642422224
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton166642625124
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1672736191723
11Brentford167273230223
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle166552321223
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd166462119222
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham165472129-819
15Crystal Palace163761721-416
16Everton153661421-715
17Leicester CityLeicester163582134-1314
18Ipswich TownIpswich162681628-1212
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1623112440-169
20Southampton1612131136-255


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