Brighton & Hove Albion host Manchester City in a midweek Premier League clash tonight with the visitors hoping to continue their title challenge.
After securing their place in the FA Cup final, with a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday, Pep Guardiola’s team will now have their sights on closing the gap on Arsenal and continuing their title challenge. The Gunners moved three points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table with an impressive 5-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday while Jurgen Klopp’s team were dealt a serious blow as Everton beat them 2-0 yesterday.
City are still the favourites to lift the trophy as they have two games in hand on Mikel Arteta’s side and only trail by four points. Still, the margin for error is slim and Guardiola will know that his team cannot slip up against a potentially stubborn Brighton this evening.
After securing European football for the first time in the club’s history last year, the Seagulls are still in with a chance of repeating that feat. They are six points behind seventh-placed Newcastle United and could move as high as ninth should they defeat City.
Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and Brighton vs Man City predictions here.
Brighton vs Man City LIVE
Brighton host Manchester City in the Premier League with kick off at 8pm
City can move three points closer to Arsenal with a win
Roberto de Zerbi’s team are still targeting the European places
GOAL! Foden capitalised on defending error! Brighton 0-3 Man City 32′
GOAL! Phil Foden adds a second! Brighton 0-2 Man City 26′
GOAL! Kevin De Bruyne gives the visitors the perfect start! Brighton 0-1 Man City 16′
Erling Haaland set to miss the game with Phil Foden and John Stones doubts
Man City XI: Ederson, Walker , Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Kovacic, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Alvarez
Brighton XI: Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Barco; Gross, Baleba; Lallana, Moder, Joao Pedro; Welbeck.
Brighton & Hove Albion FC 0 – 3 Manchester City FC
HT: Brighton 0-3 Man City
20:50 , Sonia Twigg
HT: It has been City’s half. After one chance for Welbeck in the opening couple of minutes the visitors have dominated, scoring three times and capitalising on any defensive errors.
While they were slightly lucky with the deflected shot for Foden’s first, and the defensive error for his second, De Bruyne’s header was well-timed and perfectly hit.
Brighton 0-3 Man City
20:47 , Sonia Twigg
45’ De Bruyne tries a long ball across the pitch to try and create an opening, and there will be three added minutes at the end of the first half.
Brighton 0-3 Man City
20:46 , Sonia Twigg
43’ City mount another attack, but are content to just play it around in the midfield and wait for their opening.
Bernardo Silva tries to run at the defence but is forced backwards, De Bruyne does make his move, but the visitors will have to settle for a corner .
Brighton 0-3 Man City
20:43 , Sonia Twigg
41’ Brighton do mange to hold off another City attack this time, but their desire to play the ball out from the back has led to another couple of near-misses.
Brighton 0-3 Man City
20:38 , Sonia Twigg
36’ It is looking like a long way back into this clash for Brighton already, and the game has only just passed the half hour mark.
City have been so clinical and their passing so fluid, and Brighton have been stifled slightly by their desire to play the ball out from the back.
GOAL! Foden has his second! Brighton 0-3 Man City
20:35 , Sonia Twigg
32’ GOAL! Foden has his second and City’s third!
Brighton were trying to play the ball out from the back and have just been caught, it was clever footwork from the goalkeeper, but that was poor defending, Foden just stroked the ball into the corner of the net.
Brighton 0-2 Man City
20:32 , Sonia Twigg
30’ It is all Man City now, and they are finding it all too easy to find a way through the Brighton midfielder, another chance is grabbed by Jason Steele before Walker’s cross can pick out Foden who was just waiting in the centre of the box.
GOAL! Phil Foden adds a second! Brighton 0-2 Man City
20:29 , Sonia Twigg
26’ GOAL! Phil Foden’s shot is deflected into the back of the net!
It might not have gone past the goalkeeper without the intervention, but it is a big milestone for the England international, his 50th Premier League strike.
Brighton 0-1 Man City
20:24 , Sonia Twigg
22’ Brighton’s threat has just been neutralised time and time again by City who look so dangerous when they do break!
De Bruyne tries to take it on himself and charges through the midfield, his final shot was blocked out for a corner, but he was able to make about 40 yards of ground before that.
Brighton 0-1 Man City
20:22 , Sonia Twigg
19’ Chance! Alvarez has an opportunity to double his side’s lead shortly after De Bruyne’s headed opener, but his attempted shot goes across the face of goal and just the wrong side of the far post.
GOAL! Kevin De Bruyne gives the visitors the perfect start! Brighton 0-1 Man City
20:19 , Sonia Twigg
16’ GOAL! Kevin De Bruyne finishes off a perfect move with a stunning header that just goes straight into the top corner, and there was nothing Steele could do.
It was a beautiful header from the City midfielder, finishing off a clever move.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:16 , Sonia Twigg
14’ Man City have a free kick in a promising position in the Brighton half following a foul by Baleba.
Foden bends it round the wall expertly, but Ake, who was arriving at the far post cannot get enough control on it while stretching to keep the ball down and it sails over the bar.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:14 , Sonia Twigg
13’ A probing long ball over the top cannot find Phil Foden who had his arm in the air, and the ball goes back to the Seagulls’ goalkeeper.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:13 , Sonia Twigg
12’ Manchester City have trailed in their last 12 out of 13 away matches in the league, they have gone on to win most of them but that will be an encouraging statistic for the home side.
Although after an early flurry of attacks, both sides have settled down.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:11 , Sonia Twigg
9’ Brighton are getting unstuck slightly with their determination to play out from the back, the ball keeps being lost in midfield.
But since De Zerbi’s first game in charge, Brighton are only second to tonight’s opponents when it comes to percentage of the ball in Premier League matches.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:09 , Sonia Twigg
7’ Steele came right off his line there and outside the box! He was playing almost as a fullback when he made the clearance to keep the ball away from Man City.
It’s been an entertaining start to the game so far, both sides will want to claim all three points.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:07 , Sonia Twigg
6’ Brighton continue to try and put pressure on their opponents, but they can’t find a way to play Welbeck in, who was making a promising run behind the Man City backline.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:04 , Sonia Twigg
3’ Brighton have the first chance of the match! Ederson had to stretch for it, but it wasn’t too difficult for the goalkeeper in the end.
Brighton 0-0 Man City
20:01 , Sonia Twigg
1’ Man City kick the game underway
Before kick off Guardiola and De Zerbi were in discussion just at the entrance to the pitch. it will be a big day for Valentin Barco, who is making his first start for the Seagulls.
Brighton vs Man City
19:59 , Sonia Twigg
The teams are out on the field and the pyrotechnics are going off around the ground, the last of the midweek Premier League fixtures is about to kick off.
Brighton vs Man City
19:58 , Sonia Twigg
The match will kick off in less than five minutes’ time
De Zerbi speaks to Sky Sports ahead of kick off
19:55 , Sonia Twigg
“I’ve worked in football for 30 years and I know if you’re playing well and if you’re doing well, the people speak about you and speak about the transfer market,” the Brighton manager said.
“I have the right experience to stay focused and to keep my eye only on Brighton. I have a contract and I love my players.
“For sure, we have to speak about the plan going forward because I work for the motivation.
“I’ve not spoken with Tony Bloom about the next target and the new plan, but in the next few days we will speak.”
Pep Guardiola spoke to Sky Sports ahead of kick off
19:50 , Sonia Twigg
“We have had a lot of problems with important players with injuries, but we are still there,” the Man City boss said.
“We are in the final of the FA Cup, we made the latter stages of the Champions League and in the Premier League we are there.
“But you can arrive to the end like this and in one week lose all titles, but the team have behaved unbelievably this season again.
“Every game is important now as every mistake and setback is difficult. But we have been here many times so we know what we are playing for.”
Brighton vs Man City
19:45 , Sonia Twigg
Here are some photos of the players warming up:
(Getty Images)
(REUTERS)
(Getty Images)
Brighton vs Man City
19:40 , Sonia Twigg
“Brighton away, if you put it in my calendar, is one of the toughest ones for the way we play,” says Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, reported by BBC Sport
“[It gets] harder. My admiration is growing every season. They’ve had a lot of problems, important players were sold like [loanee Levi] Colwill, [Moises] Caicedo, [Alexis] Mac Allister. They were really important players.
“They have a lot of injuries and play three competitions, but the way they play is always there. He is doing an incredible job at Brighton.”
Brighton vs Man City
19:35 , Sonia Twigg
There is less than half an hour to go until kick off on the south coast, and Brighton will want to show the form they started the season with, however the defending champions will be difficult to beat.
Man City go into the match four points behind top-placed Arsenal but having played two games left, and if they can win all their remaining matches they will finish the season top of the Premier League.
Brighton vs Man City
19:30 , Sonia Twigg
Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference: “We played a lot of games. Madrid was really intense for many things, we were out of the Champions League having done really well and after two or three days we were tired. Not just in the legs, more complaining they were tired here (in the head).
“People sitting in chairs say, ‘Ah, I complain’. But I defend my players, I know what I’m talking about much, much better than the people outside. That’s why I say I’m really impressed, but all the time I’m thinking, ‘They will fall down’. This time (I thought) it would not be possible and still they make it possible.
“That’s why when I reflect on my period here I will always admire these type of players for many years still for finding a way to still be in. This is unbelievable.”
Pep Guardiola hails Manchester City’s mental endurance across packed schedule
19:20 , Sonia Twigg
Pep Guardiola has marvelled at the mental strength of his Manchester City squad, praising their refusal to “fall down” despite a gruelling schedule.
Thursday’s Premier League trip to Brighton will be their 53rd match of a season which started with the Community Shield on August 6 and has included the European Super Cup against Sevilla, the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia and a run to the FA Cup final next month.
Last week they bowed out of the Champions League in a draining quarter-final penalty shootout against Real Madrid, but Guardiola is full of pride for the way his side have stayed up for the three-way title fight with Arsenal and Liverpool.
“The human being does not have no limits, science says you need a certain time to recover many things, not just physically – mentally as well,” he said.
Brighton vs Man City
19:10 , Sonia Twigg
Here are some photos of the teams arriving at the stadium:
(Action Images via Reuters)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Brighton team news
19:04 , Sonia Twigg
Brighton XI: Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Barco; Gross, Baleba; Lallana, Moder, Joao Pedro; Welbeck.
Subs: Verbruggen, Julio, Webster, Enciso, Adingra, Fati, Buonanotte , Offiah, O’Mah.
Brighton team news
19:04 , Sonia Twigg
Brighton have had a lengthy break, their last match came 12 days ago.
Jason Steele will be between the posts in place of Bart Verbruggen, and Pervis Estupinan has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and Valentin Barco will be left-back.
Adam Lallana was also chosen to start, with Simon Adingra dropping to the bench.
Man City team news
19:01 , Sonia Twigg
Manchester City made three changes from their FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea on Saturday.
Ederson returns in goal, with Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol also named in the starting XI, with John Stones and Jack Grealish on the bench.
Man City team news
19:00 , Sonia Twigg
Man City XI | Ederson, Walker (C), Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Kovacic, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Alvarez
SUBS | Ortega, Dias, Stones, Grealish, Doku, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis
Brighton vs Man City
18:50 , Sonia Twigg
The teams will be announced in just 10 minutes time.
A closer look at Man City’s title run in
18:45 , Sonia Twigg
There will be no repeat of the treble, after City were knocked out of the Champions League on penalties by Real Madrid, but the double is still on. Defeats for Liverpool and Arsenal last weekend left the champions in control of the title race, and now they have a favourable run ahead of them after hitting the front
City, after all, have been here before and their Premier League fixtures are looking more favourable now those games against Liverpool and Arsenal are out of the equation. It leaves a trip to Tottenham, where City have never won in the Premier League under Guardiola, as their toughest fixture of the run-in. The Gunners could do with a favour from their north London rivals, there.
Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures – Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool?
18:30 , Sonia Twigg
The Premier League is heading for a classic title race, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal set for a three-way battle as we enter the final weeks of the season.
Or is it down to two? Liverpool’s defeat to Everton on Wednesday was the third time in four Premier League games in which Jurgen Klopp’s side have dropped points, and it all but eliminated Liverpool from the title race with just four games to go.
With City in action in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, both Arsenal and Liverpool were left with two games to play before City’s next Premier League fixture. Arsenal did their job, beating Wolves away and then thrashing Chelsea to move four points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side,
The champions have two games in hand and will now look to respond at Brighton. Guardiola’s side are aiming to win a fourth league title in a row – a feat that has never been achieved in the history of English football, and the title is still in their hands.
Pep Guardiola lashes out at ‘unacceptable’ scheduling of Man City’s FA Cup semi-final
18:00 , Sonia Twigg
Pep Guardiola admitted it was “unacceptable” that Manchester City’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea was scheduled for less than 72 hours after their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
City recovered from their European exit on Wednesday night – when they played extra-time against Real before losing on penalties – to edge past Mauricio Pochettino’s side, thanks to a goal in the 84th minute from Bernardo Silva, but they were clearly fatigued at Wembley.
Chelsea had more than enough chances to settle the semi-final in their favour but, as was the case on their last visit here against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, wasteful finishing was their downfall, with Nicolas Jackson the primary culprit.
Yet despite seeing his side reach their third FA Cup final in six seasons, Guardiola’s thoughts were dominated by what he considered to be poor scheduling of the match by the Football Association.
Manchester City players ‘in the fridge’ ahead of key run of games
17:30 , Sonia Twigg
Pep Guardiola feels his Manchester City players will need to cool off “in the fridge” after their exertions of the past few days.
City responded to last Wednesday’s draining penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid by digging in for a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
The win, secured by a late goal from Bernardo Silva, maintained their hope of defending the domestic double but Guardiola later hit out at the scheduling of the fixture.
The City boss felt his players should have been allowed more rest after their European game and he now intends to give them a break before they return to Premier League action at Brighton on Thursday.
“In the fridge for two days,” said Guardiola when asked what his plans were for his squad ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium.
Brighton vs Man City
17:00 , Sonia Twigg
The club now have a game in hand on both Arsenal and Liverpool, who are tied at the top of the Premier League on 74 points. The defending champions are one point further back with six league fixtures to go.
Haaland did not feature in the Chelsea win after suffering a muscular problem, while Foden has played nearly 50 times in all competitions since the start of the campaign.
In better news for Guardiola, John Stones was able to take part in training after his half-time withdrawal at Wembley.
The England defender has dealt with a number of injury issues this season but remains a key figure as Manchester City target twin triumphs.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden sit out Manchester City training ahead of run-in
16:30 , Sonia Twigg
Phil Foden and Erling Haaland missed the open portion of Manchester City training on Tuesday, putting in doubt their participation in the Premier League fixture against Brighton.
Pep Guardiola’s side continue their pursuit of the title with a trip to the Amex on Thursday as the manager continues to manage a hectic schedule.
After their FA Cup win over Chelsea, Guardiola slammed the “unacceptable” scheduling that forced his side to play the Cup semi-final at Wembley just days after exiting the Champions League on penalties to Real Madrid.
It led him to declare that some of his players would be put “in the fridge” to rest them for the challenges to come with Manchester City still in the hunt for two trophies.
Is Brighton vs Manchester City on TV?
16:00 , Sonia Twigg
When is it?
Manchester City vs Brighton kicks off at 8pm BST on Thursday, April 25, 2024 and the Amex Community Stadium in Brighton.
How can I watch it?
The match will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League with coverage starting at 7pm. Subscribers can watch the match via the SkyGo website or app.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Is Brighton vs Manchester City on TV? Kick off time, channel and how watch Premier League fixture
15:30 , Sonia Twigg
Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup final with a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday, and will not want to lose points in the race for a Premier League title.
Pep Guardiola’s side will have longer to prepare than some others who played this weekend, and do not travel to the south coast to face Brighton until Thursday.
City had to work hard against Chelsea, and the manager was left angry at the schedule, and argued that the game on Saturday came too soon after his side’s Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid on Wednesday.
After securing European football for the first time in the club’s history last year, the Seagulls are still in with a chance, and are six points behind seventh-placed Manchester United.
Brighton vs Man City
14:14 , Sonia Twigg
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live build up, team news and coverage of Brighton vs Manchester City, which kicks off at 8pm at the Amex Community Stadium in Brighton.
Early team news
14:17 , Sonia Twigg
Team news
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Erling Haaland will again miss out due to injury, though both Phil Foden – who missed training earlier in the week – and John Stones are set to be available. Some rotation is likely, though, with Guardiola managing a busy fixture list.
Brighton have a host of injury issues, including Evan Ferguson, Billy Gilmour, James Milner and Adam Webster, although they could return soon. While Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March may not feature again this campaign.
