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

Manchester City destroyed Brighton in a rampant display.
Manchester City destroyed Brighton in a rampant display.

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

Manchester City slowed down 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.


#2 Pep Guardiola's midfield roulette worked

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


#1 Manchester City set for another trophy-laden season

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

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