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Manchester City defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, October 22. The result sees them move within one point of leaders Arsenal, having played a game more.
City arrived in this game on the back of two frustrating results, a 0-0 draw with FC Copenhagen followed by a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool.
Despite a tense and controversy-packed game at Anfield, manager Pep Guardiola maintained the rivalry had not grown toxic. His comments came after City fans were allegedly heard making offensive chants towards their counterparts.
However, he fielded a strong lineup for this game, looking to put the bad games behind them.
Manchester City made a strong start to the game and controlled the tempo for the majority of the first half. Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne looked sharp as they arrived in key areas in the final third to help City attempt shots on goal. They kept 55% possession of the ball, attempting four shots with two on target.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring after 22 minutes following a long-range pass by Ederson. The Norwegian kept his composure and shrugged off Adam Webster before calmly finishing past Robert Sanchez to make it 1-0. City had three instances where VAR was asked to review a penalty shout and were successful on the third occasion.
Bernardo Silva was caught in a melee and brought down in the box. Haaland stepped up and slotted the penalty into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-0 after 43 minutes. Manchester City carried a two-goal lead into the break.
Brighton wasted little time in getting on the scoresheet following the restart as they committed bodies forward. Solly March played a good pass forward into Leandro Trossard's path. The Spaniard continued in his rich vein of scoring form against the 'Big 6', scoring with a lovely dipping effort from 20 yards out. Due to the nature of the shot, Ederson was unable to judge the trajectory as the ball flew past him.
The game then became very tight as both teams compressed their formations in a bid to reduce the passing distance. This benefitted Manchester City a lot as their quick passing game thrived. Brighton, however, were forced to press in numbers to win the ball back before starting attacking moves of their own.
Kevin De Bruyne then added a fantastic third goal after 75 minutes, leaving Sanchez stunned as the ball flew past him. Bernardo provided an assist for the goal. Manchester City did well to hold on to their lead and secured all three points. That said, let's take a look at how their players fared.
Manchester City Player Ratings
Ederson - 7/10
Ederson was barely tested in the first period as Manchester City played most of their football in Brighton's half. He made one save and also provided a stunning assist for his team's opening goal.
Joao Cancelo - 7/10
Cancelo made a good start to the game and looked lively on the left flank. He won nine of his 14 duels, making five tackles and one clearance in the process. He also played three accurate long balls.
Ruben Dias - 6.5/10
Dias looked solid at the heart of City's defense and put in a good performance. He made three clearances and one interception on defense. Dias also played two accurate long balls.
Manuel Akanji - 6.5/10
Akanji continued to start as Guardiola's first-choice right-back in Kyle Walker's absence and had a good game. He won two of his five duels and made three interceptions and one tackle.
Aymeric Laporte - 7/10
Laporte made a good start to the game and passed the ball well. He completed 39 passes with 93% accuracy, including two accurate long balls. He also attempted two shots that were off target.
Kevin De Bruyne 7.5/10
De Bruyne was Manchester City's main creative outlet and put in an encouraging performance. He played three key passes, one accurate cross and two accurate long balls. He also won four of his 13 duels and scored City's third goal which gave them security.
Rodri - 7/10
Rodri looked solid in the middle of the park and dominated central areas of the pitch with his physicality. He won all four of his duels and made two tackles and two clearances in the process. He also played two accurate long balls.
Bernardo Silva - 7/10
Bernardo looked sharp with the ball at his feet and dribbled through tight spaces to create chances. He earned a penalty for Manchester City, which Haaland converted to make it 2-0.
Riyad Mahrez - 6/10
Mahrez made a decent start to the game as he held a wide position on the pitch. He attempted two shots, with one on target and the other blocked. He also played one key pass, one accurate cross and one accurate long ball. Mahrez was also booked for a foul.
Jack Grealish - 6/10
Grealish looked sharp from the get-go and was often targeted by mistimed tackles by Brighton's players. He completed all 25 of his passes with a perfect 100% accuracy. However, he provided little to no attacking output. He won just one of his seven duels and failed to attempt a single shot.
Erling Haaland - 8.5/10
Haaland restored normalcy at the Etihad Stadium, scoring a clinical first-half brace after failing to score in his last game. He scored with both his shots on target, taking his league tally to 17 for the season.
Substitutes
Phil Foden - 6.5/10
Foden came on shortly after the hour-mark and had a decent game.
Cole Palmer - 6.5/10
Palmer replaced Jack Grealish for the closing stages of the game and put in a decent performance.
Julian Alvarez - 6.5/10
Alvarez replaced Haaland for the final 10 minutes and put in a good shift as Manchester City secured the win.
