Brighton 1-4 Manchester City: 5 talking points as rampant Sky Blues demolish Seagulls | Premier League 2021-22

Manchester City romped to a stunning 4-1 Premier League victory over Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday. A brace from Phil Foden either side of goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez secured all three points for the reigning champions. Alexis Mac Allister pulled a late consolation back for the Seagulls.

City were absolutely dominant in the first half, racing to a 3-0 lead inside the opening 30 minutes of the game. But a dip in momentum after the break kept the scoreline that way until Mac Allister scored a penalty to reduce the deficit.

However, in stoppage-time, Mahrez restored City's three-goal lead with a composed finish after Foden opened up the Brighton defence once again.

With the win, Manchester City are now unbeaten in eight league games and climb above Liverpool in second place, while Brighton remain in fourth. On that note, here are the five key talking points from the game:

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#5 Brighton's bubble burst inside opening 30 minutes

Manchester City tore Brighton apart with a mesmeric first-half performance.

Having made their best-ever start to a Premier League season, many expected Brighton to actually pull off something special against City. But it took only 30 minutes for Manchester City to burst Brighton's bubble, netting thrice to effectively end the game as a contest.

The Sky Blues were absolutely rampant from the get-go, passing the ball around quickly and creating a plethora of chances. They steamrolled past the Seagulls as if they were a relegation-battling side.

Nobody could say this was the same Brighton that had lost only once coming into this game. Thirty minutes is all it took for Pep Guardiola's men effectively put the game to bed. The home side looking completely in sixes and sevens at the back every time City rampaged forward.

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#4 Phil Foden delivers another masterclass for Manchester City

Phil Foden is becoming the new focal point of Guardiola's set-up.

The sky is the limit for Phil Foden, who continues to scale new heights with Manchester City. The in-form youngster produced another lively attacking performance, capping that off with two goals and an assist.

He was irresistible all night, buzzing around the pitch and tormenting the Brighton defence all night. Both of his goals on the night came within a span of just three minutes.

Despite the game's tempo declining after the break, Foden remained one of the few bright spots, his endless energy allowing him to surge into the box. He found an opening in Brighton's defence and clinically offloaded the ball to an unmarked Mahrez, who buried his effort to give the youngster an assist.

It marked the first time Foden recorded three goal contributions in a Premier League game for Manchester City.

#3 Manchester City take their feet off the pedal after the break

Manchester City slowed down after the break.

Manchester City took their foot off the pedal in the second half after racing to a healthy 3-0 advantage inside the opening 30 minutes. That reduced the game's tempo significantly.

However, that also allowed the Seagulls to come back into the match. The home side finally started to put some pressure on the champions, with genuine attacking intent.

Leandro Trossard, especially, was a live wire, making some dangerous runs forward and drawing fouls out of Manchester City players to win free-kicks and corners.

Although they came to nothing, Brighton's press eventually paid off. That happened when Ederson's desperate lunge on Enock Mwepu resulted in a penalty that was soundly dispatched by Mac Allister. It would not be before stoppage time that City would show their attacking prowess again.

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#2 Pep Guardiola's midfield roulette worked

Mahrez and De Bruyne came off the bench to make a telling impact.

In a huge surprise for Fantasy Football fans, Pep Guardiola opted to bench both Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez for this game.

He probably knew that their services wouldn't be needed against a side his team holds such a commanding record against. The attacking triumvirate of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus more than did their job.

But Guardiola cannot afford such luxury all the time. Both De Bruyne and Mahrez came off the bench and made telling contributions, highlighting their importance to the side.

While the Belgian created four chances despite coming on only in the 77th minute, Mahrez scored City's fifth of the night. Nevertheless, City provided a frightening reminder of their squad depth.

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#1 Manchester City set for another trophy-laden season

Manchester City, in this form, should continue winning titles.

It's still early days, and we don't mean to jump the gun here. But going by Manchester City's recent form, you cannot help but wonder how many more titles are coming their way this season.

The reigning English champions have scored nine goals in their last two games in all competitions, and 13 in their last four. They have conceded only four times, during this period, including tonight's penalty.

With each passing game, Guardiola's troops are just turning it up a notch, and their opposition haven't managed to respond in kind,

There are tougher games coming up as the season progresses and title rivals get into form. However, the quality in City's squad ow is just too immense, and they possess enviable squad depth too. Barring an epic implosion, City look set for more trophies this season.