Manchester City welcome Brighton to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as the champions look to keep pace with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
David Silva marked his 400th appearance for the Sky Blues with a mesmeric performance away to Bournemouth, the Spaniard having a hand in all of City's goal as they defeated the Cherries 3-1.
That result leaves Pep Guardiola's recruits on seven points after their first three fixtures of the new Premier League season, three more than the Seagulls. Florin Andone's senseless red card versus Southampton cost the side last time out, Saints leaving the Amex with a 2-0 victory.
Check out 90min's preview of the clash in the north-west.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Saturday 31 August |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 15:00 (BST) |
| Where Is it Played? | Etihad Stadium |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | BBC Final Score/BT Sport Score (UK) |
| Referee? | Jon Moss |
Where to Buy Tickets
Tickets for the game are, as ever, available on both teams' official club websites, though membership is required in order to purchase. In terms of resale, both teams provide the option to make season tickets available for others to use, if a supporter is unable to attend the game themselves.
Team News
Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Benjamin Mendy are all ruled out of the Seagulls encounter. The Brazilian and Frenchman both have thigh injuries, while the German winger will be out until the new year with a cruciate ligament rupture.
John Stones will face a late fitness test having missed Sunday's victory at Bournemouth, with no other concerns for City ahead of the weekend.
Graham Potter is without four of his first-team squad, though only three are due to injuries. Andone was dismissed for a wild lunge in Brighton's defeat to Saints, the forward receiving a three-match suspension as a result.
Jose Izquierdo and Ezequiel Schelotto both have knee problems, while Yves Bissouma is sidelined after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Potential Lineups
| Manchester City | Ederson; Cancelo, Otamendi, Laporte, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, B. Silva, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Sterling, Aguero. |
| Brighton | Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Burn, March; Stephens, Propper; Trossard, Gross, Murray. |
Head to Head Record
The last time the sides met was in May, a game which confirmed the Citizens' second consecutive English crown. Sergio Aguero, Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan all got on the scoresheet as Guardiola's men secured a title-clinching 4-1 win.
Glenn Murray had given the Seagulls a shock lead after connecting with a devilish in-swinging corner, only for Aguero to tie the score a minute later with a cute finish through Mat Ryan's legs.
A towering header from Laporte gave City the advantage going into half-time, Mahrez's rocket doubling it before Gundogan sent an arching free-kick in to seal victory.
Brighton have beaten the Sky Blues just once in the last three decades, emerging victorious after a penalty shootout in the League Cup 11 years ago. They lost thrice to the champions in 2018/19, going down twice in the league, with Jesus' early goal sinking them in the FA Cup semi final.
Recent Form
A dominant display at Watford got the new campaign off to a brilliant start for Brighton, while there were encouraging signs in the 1-1 draw with West Ham the following week.
It's difficult to assess the side's performance at home to Saints given Andone's early red card, though they showed defensive solidity to hold out for a while with ten men.
City were unplayable in their 5-0 win at the London Stadium, Raheem Sterling putting in a marvellous showing as he collected an opening day hat-trick.
A lack of accuracy in the final third cost the champions against Tottenham seven days later, though they were back to their clinical best as they defeated the Cherries 3-1 on the south coast.
Here's a look at the two teams' last five results:
| Manchester City | Brighton |
| Bournemouth 1-3 Manchester City (25/8) | Bristol Rovers 1-2 Brighton (27/8) |
| Manchester City 2-2 Tottenham (17/8) | Brighton 0-2 Southampton (24/8) |
| West Ham 0-5 Manchester City (10/8) | Brighton 1-1 West Ham (17/8) |
| Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (4-5 on Pens) (4/8) | Watford 0-3 Brighton (10/8) |
| Yokohama FM 1-3 Manchester City (27/7) | Brighton 2-1 Valencia (2/8) |
Prediction
Very few teams go to the Etihad Stadium and leave with anything other than a loss. If Brighton are going to take something from the game, they will need a combination of luck and skill.
Unfortunately, it is doubtful whether the Albion have the quality needed to beat this fearsome City side. Spurs may have collected a point in Manchester, but it is extremely rare to see the Sky Blues look so wayward in front of goal.
A repeat is unlikely and that makes a Brighton win even more improbable. Even their impressive backline may not save them from a hiding.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 Brighton
Source : 90min