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Manchester City will look to return to winning ways as they take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad this Saturday.
The international break is over and Premier League fans will heave a huge sigh of relief and welcome the high-octane action of the English top flight back with open arms this weekend.
Manchester City's clash with Brighton is one of the most enticing fixtures lined up for gameweek 9 of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.
Reigning champions City had hit a snag in the weeks leading up to the latest international break. A straight red card to Rodri in their 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest altered the fortunes considerably in the games that followed.
City lost all three domestic games that Rodri missed, the first of which was an EFL Cup third-round encounter with Newcastle United. They subsequently fell to a 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux before getting beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in their latest outing.
The back-to-back losses have caused City to drop to third in the Premier League table. But now that Rodri is back after his suspension, they'll be looking to make a statement this Saturday.
But the Seagulls will be no pushovers. Up until a 6-1 humiliation at Villa Park on September 30, which pretty much came out of nowhere, Brighton had looked sturdy.
However, they are currently on a four-game winless streak in all competitions although it's worth noting that their latest outing ended in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
After a roaring start to the season, Roberto De Zerbi's men have suffered a dip in form over the last several weeks. The Seagulls are excellent in possession but their defensive vulnerabilities continue to be a major cause for concern.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Brighton have lost 10 of their 12 Premier League matches with Manchester City. They have won only once against the Cityzens in the league.
- Manchester City are yet to lose a home league game against Brighton.
- Manchester City have scored at least one goal in 25 of their last 26 league games against Brighton.
- There have been 37 goals scored in Brighton's league matches so far this season. They have scored 21 while shipping in 16. It is the second-most of any side in Europe's top five leagues after La Liga side Granada (38).
- Manchester City have lost successive league games for the first time since December 2018. The last time they lost three consecutive league matches was in February-March 2016.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion Prediction
Both teams will be motivated to get a positive result on Saturday but it won't be an easy task for either of them. City and Brighton are two of the Premier League's most exciting sides to watch in attack and there will be plenty of goals in this one.
But with Rodri returning and owing to their home advantage, City are expected to edge this one.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Manchester City to win
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Both teams to score - Yes
