Manchester City return to the Etihad on Wednesday still frustrated after letting another win slip away, having been held to a late draw by Chelsea despite dominating long spells.
Pep Guardiola’s side have now gone two league games without victory, allowing Arsenal to stretch their lead at the top, and the pressure is building to respond at home against Brighton.
City’s recent wobble contrasts sharply with their strong Etihad history, where they remain unbeaten in 15 Premier League home meetings with the Seagulls.
Confidence at home has often been driven by big individual moments, with Rayan Cherki delivering a key performance to help Manchester City secure a tough win over Nottingham Forest, a result that underlined the team’s ability to grind out points even when not at their fluent best. Manchester City also stoked anticipation on their X handle,
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Brighton arrive encouraged after ending a poor run with victory over Burnley, but defensive issues on the road remain a concern. They will also remember how close Chelsea came to leaving Manchester empty-handed before Enzo Fernández struck late, a game Softfootball reported extensively that drew strong reactions from fans.
Team News
City are without Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, while Brighton miss several regulars including Baleba and March.
Possible Lineups
Man City: Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, O’Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Foden, Reijnders, Doku; Haaland.
Brighton: Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Gomez, Ayari; Gruda, Rutter, Mitoma; Kostoulas.
Softfootball Prediction
Manchester City 2-1 Brighton. City’s firepower should edge a competitive contest.
