Seeking to avoid losing four games in a row for the first time under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The Seagulls are also bidding to return to winning ways after suffering defeat in their last two games against Liverpool in the EFL Cup and Premier League.
Match preview
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For the first time since April 2018, Man City have lost three consecutive games in a row and the club are in a "dark place" according to Bernardo Silva. His manager Pep Guardiola disagrees, but the Citizens are nevertheless reeling from a disappointing week across three different competitions.
Man City suffered 2-1 defeats at Tottenham Hotspur (EFL Cup) and Bournemouth (Premier League) before being put to the sword 4-1 by Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim ending City's recording-breaking 26-game unbeaten run in the competition.
Guardiola has insisted that he is here for the 'tough challenge' at Man City, who will be keen to stop the rot and enter the international break on a high by beating Brighton this weekend. Victory would see them return to the top of the Premier League table, albeit for only a few hours if current leaders Liverpool beat Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
Defeat at Bournemouth last weekend - which ended City's club-record 32-game unbeaten league run - resulted in the reigning champions slipping to second in the top-flight standings, with Arne Slot's in-form Liverpool moving two points clear at the summit after beating Brighton 2-1 at Anfield.
Man City's first-team resources may be heavily depleted, while their defensive frailties have also become a major concern, but there is reason for the Citizens to be optimistic of success on Saturday, as they have collected 37 points from a possible 42 available against Brighton in the Premier League (W12 D1 L1).
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Just under 72 hours after losing 3-2 at home to Liverpool in the last 16 of the EFL Cup, Brighton came up short against the Merseysiders again in the Premier League last weekend, despite putting in a spirited performance at Anfield.
Summer signing Ferdi Kadioglu fired Brighton ahead with his first goal for the club, and they were leading for much of the contest until two second-half goals in 128 seconds from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah quickly turned the match on its head, with the Reds eventually condemning the Seagulls to just their second league loss of the campaign.
Fabian Hurzeler - who has seen his Brighton side slip to eighth in the table, albeit only three points behind third spot - felt that his side missed a "big chance" to beat Liverpool and has urged his players to perform 'at their maximum' if they wish to win games against the top sides in the future.
Brighton have dropped a total of 10 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, only four points fewer than they did in the whole of last season. Four of those points dropped have come in their only two defeats of the campaign against Liverpool last weekend and Chelsea (4-2) in September.
The Seagulls are unbeaten in five matches at the Amex this season (W2 D3); only in 1982-83 have they enjoyed a longer unbeaten home run at the start of a top-flight campaign (seven). Extending that run on Saturday is not a given, though, as they have lost 13 of their last 15 meetings with Man City in all competitions, most recently suffering a 4-0 home defeat in April.
Team News
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Brighton trio Solly March (ACL) James Milner and Adam Webster (both thigh) are all targeting a return after the international break, but Hurzeler has confirmed that both Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley have a "big chance" of making the matchday squad after spells out with ankle injuries.
Lewis Dunk (calf) and Yankuba Minteh (muscle) are both doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff, while Yasin Ayari (ankle) "might be an option for the weekend" after coming off against Liverpool with an ankle problem. Carlos Baleba, meanwhile, did not feature at Anfield due to a knee issue, but he should be fit to return against Man City.
In-form striker Danny Welbeck has scored six goals in 10 Premier League games this season, but he has never found the net in 19 previous top-flight meetings with Man City. The 33-year-old is nevertheless expected to start in attack with Georginio Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma.
As for Man City, Rodri (ACL) and Oscar Bobb (leg fracture) remain long-term absentees, while Ruben Dias, John Stones (both unspecified) and Jack Grealish (groin) are also nursing problems. Both Dias and Stones will target a return after the international break, while Grealish has surprising been called up to the England squad.
After a nine-game injury layoff, Kevin De Bruyne has been back in the squad for the last two games and was brought on as a substitute in the closing stages against Sporting. The playmaker is seemingly unlikely to start on Saturday as he continues to build up his fitness, but he could make another appearance off the bench.
Guardiola will weigh up whether to start Kyle Walker or Rico Lewis at right-back, while 19-year-old Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who was handed his first senior start for Man City on Tuesday, could be replaced in central defence by Nathan Ake.
Jeremy Doku will be hoping to force his way into the first XI after making two substitute appearances since recovering from injury, while Erling Haaland is expected to lead the line once again, even though he has scored just once in his last five league games and also missed a penalty in the Champions League in midweek.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Igor, Estupinan; Kadioglu, Hinshelwood, Baleba, Mitoma; Rutter, Welbeck
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Gundogan; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Haaland
We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 3-3 Manchester City
Could a Premier League classic be on the cards? These two attack-minded teams are sure to pose a regular threat in the final third, while they also look vulnerable at the back. Indeed, Brighton have conceded more goals against Man City (40) than they have against any other PL opponent, while the Citizens have kept just five clean sheets in 17 competitive games so far this season.
Man City can ill-afford to slip further behind leaders Liverpool, or allow Arsenal to close the gap to the summit, but Guardiola's jaded squad is not performing at its best at present and they may be forced to share the spoils with the Seagulls on this occasion.
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Oliver Thomas
