Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 Manchester City: 5 Talking points as ten-men Champions shocked by Seagulls | Premier League 2020-21

#3 The importance of fans highlighted once again in miraculous upset

There is every possibility that Manchester City, even with ten men, go about their business and grab all three points against significantly weaker opposition. After all, they were up by two goals at a time. It could've been a straightforward collection of three points, especially considering the form Ruben Dias and John Stones have been in all season. However, it wasn't to be.

Brighton & Hove Albion's supporters made a big difference

While credit must be given to the Brighton and Hove Albion players and coaches, it is tough to picture them mounting this impressive comeback in the absence of their fans. Almost 8000 fans made their way to the Amex Stadium to cheer for their beloved club, and their voices didn't tremble even when their team was faced with severe adversity.

They pushed their club through the full ninety minutes with constant chanting and applauding, and its positive effect on the players was visible. They were willing to run that extra yard and go into a tackle with more boisterousness thanks to their loyal supporters. It is a reminder to football fans around the globe of what a massive role they play in their team's success.

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#2 Are City's defensive woes returning?

Brighton gave City a lot of problems at the back

Manchester City - who still have the best defensive record in the league - have now conceded six goals in their last two games. Three in each of those fixtures. To put things into perspective, they conceded their previous six in a run of seven games, despite going through one of their relatively poorer defensive spells of the season. So the question must be asked - is this shaky defense here to stay?

This is the first time Ruben Dias has conceded three goals in his Man City career 👀 pic.twitter.com/LQoZYgOQbd

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 18, 2021

With only one more game left before the all-important Champions League final against Chelsea, Guardiola doesn't have much time to sort things out. The truth is that in the past two games, City have either played many of their reserve defensive players, or have been forced to play with a numerical disadvantage.

That being said, a more pessimistic point of view suggests that City might be losing their elite defensive mentality at the worst possible time. One can only speculate.

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#1 How good can Brighton get with a goal-poaching striker?

Welbeck limped off against Manchester City again

Brighton and Hove Albion have played some liquid football this season. Their defensive record is also the best among all other clubs in the lower half of the table. Why hasn't their quality at both ends of the pitch resulted in points?

Brighton (1.43) 3-2 (0.98) Man City

— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) May 18, 2021

If statistics are to be believed, Brighton have played well enough to warrant themselves a comfortable top-half finish instead of a relegation battle. Their expected goals tally is extremely impressive, but their actual goal tally is a far cry from that number.

The lack of a lethal goalscorer has hurt them dearly for a long time now. They had seemed to have found a reliable striker in Danny Welbeck, but the Englishman continues to struggle with injuries every now and then. If the board can pull-off a big move to bring in a reputed goalscorer this summer, Graham Potter could very well lead his team to their best season in a long, long time.

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