Manchester City will take on Brighton on Wednesday, 7 January, in a match that is now considered a must-win for the hosts.
Pep Guardiola has seen Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to six points over the past week, following back-to-back City draws against Sunderland and Chelsea. Another slip-up here could see the Gunners cut the Cityzens adrift.
As part of this week's round of Premier League betting tips, check out our Man City vs Brighton prediction below.
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Man City vs Brighton prediction: The hosts to return to form
Key Stats
- Man City haven't lost a Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium since August.
- Brighton have never beaten Man City at the Etihad Stadium before.
- Erling Haaland is due a goal after going three Premier League matches without one for the first time this season.
Correct score prediction: Man City 3-1 Brighton
Man City have suffered a couple of important defensive injuries in the last week, so there should be opportunities for Brighton to score on Wednesday. However, the hosts should have too much quality at the other end of the pitch to come up short.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Man City go in as odds-on favourites
- HOME: 2/5 (1.40) – 71.4%
- DRAW: 17/4 (5.25) 19%
- AWAY: 11/2 (6.50) – 15.4%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
The Man City vs Brighton odds are what you'd expect for such a fixture. Ladbrokes have given Man City a 71.4% chance of winning the match, while Brighton have been given just a 15.4% chance of taking all three points with them back to the south coast.
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Most recent H2Hs: Encouragement for both
As mentioned earlier, Brighton have never won a game at this stadium, which immediately gives Man City a huge psychological advantage on Wednesday night. However, the Seagulls have taken seven points from their last three matches against Man City, so they won't be too daunted by the challenge ahead of them.
England Premier League 31/08/25
Brighton
Man City
England Premier League 15/03/25
Man City
Brighton
England Premier League 09/11/24
Brighton
Man City
England Premier League 25/04/24
Brighton
Man City
England Premier League 17/03/24
Brighton
Man City
Man City preview: Defensive woes for Guardiola
Not only did Man City drop two crucial points against Chelsea on Sunday, but they also lost Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol. Both men are expected to be out for some time, and they join Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic, Savinho and John Stones in the treatment room. Omar Marmous and Rayan Ait-Nouri remain at AFCON for the time being.
Predicted lineup: Donnarumma (GK), Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, O'Reilly, Rodri, Reijnders, Cherki, Foden, Doku, Haaland
Last five results
- Man City 1-1 Chelsea
- Sunderland 0-0 Man City
- Nottingham Forest 1-2 Man City
- Man City 3-0 West Ham
- Man City 2-0 Brentford
Brighton preview: Gross to come into the XI?
Pascal Gross made his second Brighton debut against Burnley as a substitute, and the German midfielder could now be in line for a start on Wednesday night. Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer are pushing for returns, but Solly March, Adam Webster, Carlos Baleba and Stefanos Tzimas are all unavailable.
Predicted lineup: Verbruggen (GK), Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu, Ayari, Gomez, Gruda, Rutter, Mitoma, Welbeck
Last five results
- Brighton 2-0 Burnley
- West Ham 2-2 Brighton
- Arsenal 2-1 Brighton
- Brighton 0-0 Sunderland
- Liverpool 2-0 Brighton
Player to watch: Phil Foden
After a rich vein of form in November through to the middle of December, Phil Foden's goal contributions have dried up and the attacking midfielder has now gone five games without scoring or providing an assist. It's no coincidence that City's overall form has dipped at the same time, illustrating just how important the 25-year-old is to the club.