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Manchester City's bid to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League undergoes another test when they host Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, October 31.
The visitors are indeed the story of the season so far, as they occupy third place heading into this matchday, and they will want to keep it that way with a positive result in Manchester.
After these teams played a curtain-raiser to this fixture in their midweek EFL Cup tie, they cancelled each other out after 90 minutes, with City qualifying for the next round thanks to spot kicks.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Manchester City vs Brighton key stats
- Brighton are the highest-scoring team in the Premier League with 23 goals in eight games.
- Man City have seen an average of 4.25 goals per game in the league at home this season.
- Erling Haaland is the league's top scorer with nine goals from eight games.
- Only Leeds and Arsenal conceded fewer league goals than Brighton this term.
Manchester City vs Brighton preview: Visitors' poor record here to continue
Man City vs Brighton — Tale of the Tape
| Man City | vs | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Position | 3rd |
| 21 | Points | 16 |
| 20 | Goals For | 23 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 7 |
| 3 | Clean Sheets | 5 |
| 2nd (H) | Home / Away Rank | 5th (A) |
Enzo Maresca fielded a much-changed lineup in their midweek EFL Cup clash against Brighton, and expectedly so, but they got the job done in the end.
City are expected to return to full strength for this Premier League fixture, especially after suffering their first defeat of the campaign last weekend at Aston Villa.
The Cityzens will want to get back on track, more so because Arsenal are now level on points with them, and any mishaps this weekend will open the door for the Premier League champions.
This campaign should be viewed in context, though, because the hosts have produced their best return of points after eight games than any of their previous eight seasons.
City's home record is an enviable one, as they have lost just one league match at the Etihad Stadium across their previous 22 such outings, winning 18 in that run.
Additionally, the Cityzens have never lost a home head-to-head against Brighton across the last 15 meetings, winning 11 of those, which suggests the hosts could add another dent to the visitors' early form.
Brighton were on a five-game unbeaten run in the league, which included an impressive 3-0 humbling of Arsenal at the Amex Stadium before the international break.
However, Liverpool sent them away from Anfield empty-handed last weekend, meaning the Seagulls are now technically on a two-game losing streak.
The concern for Fabian Hurzeler is his team's away form – Brighton have lost four of their last six away games in the league, and it does not help that their two defeats this term have come against sides that are currently with them in the top five.
On a positive note, Brighton are undefeated against City across their most recent five head-to-heads inside regulation time, with three ending in a stalemate and two with a Seagulls win.
Manchester City vs Brighton form guide & betting tips
| Man City | vs | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
WWWWL |
Form | WWWWL |
| 12 | Points | 12 |
| 2nd | Form Table | 1st |
| 13 | Goals For | 15 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 2 |
LWWLW |
Form (All Comps) | WWDLL |
Whispers predicts: Manchester City 2-1 Brighton
It has been more than two years since Manchester City beat Brighton, but they have been flying high this season under Maresca, and so have Brighton under Hurzeler; however, after winning their midweek clash on penalties, the Cityzens are best to back for a win at 1.58 odds.
With both sides being clinical in front of goal, they will likely breach each other's defence, which makes getting behind BTTS – Yes at 1.46 odds a reasonable pick.
Brighton have scored the first goal in 62% of their league matches, while City conceded first in 25% of their games, making it worth backing the visitors to strike first at 2.55 odds.
Considering Erling Haaland's scoring form, he is likely to get some joy off the visiting defence, and with 1.66 odds of him scoring at any time, he offers enough value; alternatively, backing him to score first at 3.70 odds is a decent pick.
> Man City to win at 1.58 | Likelihood: High
> Both teams to score at 1.46 | Likelihood: High
> Brighton to score first at 2.55 | Likelihood: Medium
> Anytime goalscorer – Erling Haaland at 1.66 | Likelihood: High
> First goalscorer – Erling Haaland at 3.70 | Likelihood: Medium