Manchester City eager to end two-game winless run as Brighton visits.
Manchester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion kicks off at 19:30 [GMT] on Wednesday, January 7, at the Etihad.
Historically, this has been one of City’s most comfortable home matchups. The champions have never lost a home league game against Brighton, winning 12 and drawing three of their 15 encounters at the Etihad. It represents both Manchester City’s longest unbeaten home run against a single opponent and Brighton’s longest away run without a victory against any side. City have also scored in all 17 of their Premier League meetings with the Seagulls, a perfect scoring record matched only against Bournemouth. Manchester City arrive having drawn their last two league matches. Guardiola has only ever drawn three consecutive Premier League games on two previous occasions in his managerial career, adding extra intrigue to City’s current run. One factor firmly in their favour is the day of the week: City have won 31 of their last 33 Premier League matches played on a Wednesday, and remarkably, their last 22 home league games played on that day. It is the longest home winning streak on a specific day of the week in Premier League history. City [WWWDD] would be looking to extend that 22-home-game winning run when they host the Seagulls this Wednesday. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Haaland in attack is expected against the Seagulls.
Recent meetings suggest Brighton are no longer overawed by Pep Guardiola’s side. They are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games against City, winning twice and drawing once, after avoiding defeat in just two of their first 14 meetings in the competition. However, Brighton’s away form presents a mixed picture. While they have proven competitive against City in recent head-to-heads, they have conceded exactly two goals in each of their last three away league matches. The Seagulls have not endured a longer run of conceding multiple goals on the road since late 2022, suggesting defensive resilience away from home remains a work in progress. Individual narratives also add depth to the contest. Erling Haaland has scored in each of his last four Premier League appearances against Brighton, yet City have failed to win any of those matches. Notably, the Norwegian has gone three consecutive league games without scoring, something he has never extended to four successive starts in his top-flight career. On the Brighton side, Danny Welbeck has been productive away from home overall, scoring seven goals in his last 13 away league appearances, though the Etihad has remained a frustrating venue for him, with no goals in nine visits. He will be looking to break that jinx when he appears at the attacking end of Brighton’s 4—2—3—1 formation.