Game Week 9 Predictions: City to beat Brighton at the Amex

Brighton celebrate a late Dan Burn goal last time they met City, will they repeat the feat on Saturday? (Photo credit: premierleague.com)

Brighton vs Manchester City
Amex Stadium
5:30pm

Brighton are unbeaten in five games, they sit fourth on the log and are looking up, it’s their best ever start to the season and they can build on that with a sensational win against Manchester City at the Amex on Saturday.

Manchester City can make a strong statement in the title race with a win here, they sit third on the log, two points off the Blues at the top and should there be an upset at Stamford Bridge earlier on, the Cityzens will seek to capitalize.

Brighton have been amazing since the start of the season, they have lost just once and have been very resolute till the very end. Brighton are very much close to the top in terms of distance covered and if they score as much as their xG suggests, they would be just fine.

Brighton beat City last time out with a late Dan Burn strike, it was the first ever time they were beating the champions in the league and they will want to draw inspirations from that game that happened at the tail end of last season, City had the league wrapped up by then anyways.

Manchester City have the best defense in the league, they face a Brighton team that don’t score much, does this point us into any direction? Will Brighton alter their shape to accommodate an extra man in midfield?

Manchester City will be expected to retain the core that has delivered this season, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne will be trusted and Phil Foden might get a look in as well but will top scorer so far, Gabriel Jesus get a starting role?

How will Brighton approach this? They can’t afford to defend too deep else they become overwhelmed by City’s penetrating football, they also can’t afford to commit too many players forward else they get caught when they’re thin at the back, it’s a big conundrum.

City will continue the high press when they don’t have the ball and possession football when they have the advantage, an early goal will settle nerves and they will want to avoid the situation that saw them settle for a goalless draw against Southampton.

Manchester City are used to beating Brighton until the last time out, was that a blip or there’s a shift? Time will tell.