Nearly a decade ago, Manchester City capitalised on a blunder by Steven Gerrard which disrupted Liverpool’s chances of clinching the Premier League title. Lately, after considering the recent losses of Arsenal and Liverpool, many had speculated whether City could make a similar misstep with their title pursuit, a mistake they hadn’t made under Pep Guardiola, especially when they were close to victory.
There was a presumption, especially among Arsenal enthusiasts, that Brighton, led by Roberto De Zerbi, could cause a setback to City. With only two home losses all season, the team was seen as a potential threat to City, aside from their upcoming match with Tottenham.
However, City dashed such assumptions ruthily. The game appeared nearly won when Phil Foden found the net with a redirected free-kick in the 26th minute, and a second goal shortly after half-time confirmed the victory. Foden, credited with an outstanding performance, ended the game with 24 goals for the season so far.
There were concerns about Guardiola’s players being exhausted, but this did not appear to affect their performance on the field, sparking questions of psychological strategy. Kevin De Bruyne’s spectacular header started City’s scoring spree, followed by Julian Alvarez adding a fourth goal. The prospect of a historic fourth consecutive title is within reach.
Guardiola has previously openly criticised City’s schedule, even going so far as to jest that his players need to be “in the fridge” after a strenuous FA Cup semi-final triumph over Chelsea. This seemed apt preparation for a brisk seaside evening. Despite missing injured Erling Haaland, City overcame their collective fatigue, fueled by adrenaline.
On the other hand, it was Brighton’s De Zerbi struggling with fitness issues, having to manage without eight injured squad members. Guardila’s tactics have always intrigued his followers and this time around, De Zerbi’s strategy drew attention; the liberty he gave to Adam Lallana and Pascal Gross in the central attacking midfield roles was noteworthy.
Brighton began the match with an energetic performance, posing challenges. However, their initial zeal was soon overshadowed as De Bruyne delivered a masterful goal with his head, ensuring dominance for Manchester City. A rare sight, as this stellar player is not known for scoring with his head. Remarkably, this was his first header amongst his 68 Premier League goals.
The goal was dazzling, echoing Robin van Persie’s iconic shot for the Netherlands against Spain in the 2014 World Cup. Diving forward, De Bruyne utilised his neck muscles to drive the ball, causing it to curve upwards then downwards under the crossbar from an impressive distance. This spectacle unfolded when Kyle Walker crossed from the right, and De Bruyne was approximately 14 yards from the goalpost.
Following a couple more attempts from both sides, with Nathan Aké shooting off the mark from a Foden free-kick and Lewis Dunk coming up close with a header for Brighton, Manchester City clinched their crucial second goal.
The award of a free-kick was met with controversy as Foden, racing toward the box’s edge, seemed to fall without being tripped. Incensed, Brighton fans aired their conspiracy theories. Yet, it didn’t faze Foden; he struck powerfully, and was lucky as the ball ricocheted off Gross in the wall, completely wrong-footing Jason Steele.
Brighton’s commitment to playing from the back was their downfall. The tension was palpable as their first-time player, Valentín Barco, buckled under pressure. Laying a trap was Bernardo Silva, who pounced when Barco botched a return pass to Carlos Baleba. Consequently, the ball was delivered to Foden who expertly directed it into the far corner.
Taking centre stage was Foden who seemed to be building a strong case for the player of the season award – his extraordinary touch and uncanny ability to exploit gaps, moving fluidly with the ball without missing a beat, were as remarkable as his scoring prowess.
Guardiola holds De Zerbi in high regard and it would have been disheartening for the Brighton manager to see his strategic design unravel especially after its initially promising start. Substitutions were made by him which included positioning Igor Julio on the left-back role, upping Barco to the left midfield.
However, this exposed Brighton’s weakness on that side during City’s fourth goal, launched by Ederson via a long, lofty pass, surpassing Barco for Kyle Walker. The right-back skillfully manoeuvred inside Barco, outrunning Steele to the ball before it was passed to Álvarez. Twice, the City frontman had narrowly missed scoring but triumphed by driving the ball into the net this time.