Manchester City vs Brighton Tips and Predictions
One of the highlights of the Premier League Matchday 9 will be the clash of two attacking machines, Manchester City and Brighton. The match will take place at Etihad Stadium, with the kick-off scheduled for 3:00 pm local time on Saturday, October 21.
The hosts, Man City, are approaching the game against the Albion following two consecutive Premier League losses. These poor results have seen Pep Guardiola's men drop down to third place, behind Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
Before moving on with our Manchester City vs Brighton tips, we should mention the visitors are also winless in their previous two matches, having recorded a loss and a draw. This sees the Albion in sixth place.
Erling Haaland to score anytime
Erling Haaland failed to score in the previous two league games for the Citizens and will look to return from the international break in style. The 2023 Golden Boot winner has all the means to upset Brighton on Saturday, with Bet365 offering 1.53 odds on Haaland scoring anytime during the match.
Despite the two-game goal drought, we can still confidently say that the striker has had a terrific start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. In eight appearances for City, Haaland has scored eight goals.
Despite the overall positive results, Brighton's backline needs significant improvement. With 16 conceded goals, Roberto De Zerbi's team has the fourth-worst defence in the league. Haaland is always a threat in the opposite box and he also likes running into free spaces – something Brighton will surely provide this weekend.
Both teams to score? Yes
We have mentioned above in our Manchester City vs Brighton tips that the visitors do not have the best in the league. To drive our point further, we can add that the Seagulls are yet to keep their first clean sheet in the 2023/24 Premier League. Even bottom-dwelling Luton Town and Bournemouth have managed to score against them.
Man City have a formidable attacking line and, in addition to Erling Haaland, Pep Guardiola can field the likes of Julian Alvares, Bernardo Silva, Jeremy Doku and others. So, they are almost guaranteed to score on Saturday at the Etihad.
However, we also believe that the Citizens will allow a goal in, and Bet365 give 1.53 odds on both teams scoring. Man CIty have conceded six times in the eight league matches so far as their defence is not as secure as it was last season. Moreover, Brighton have the best attack in the league with 21 scored goals.
Both teams to receive 2+ cards? Yes
In addition to our expectations of a high-scoring game between Man City and Brighton, we also expect the two teams to commit a lot of fouls. The odds on both teams receiving two or more cards stand at 1.83 on Bet365.
Manchester City were shown at least two cards in their previous five Premier League encounters. Typically, the Citizens get booked more often against teams that do not park the bus but instead try to press them, and Brighton will play in this exact way.
The Seagulls are card-happy as well. In the eight league matches so far, De Zerbi’s men have received a total of 22 yellow cards. And it will be difficult to remain disciplined against Man City because of the expected intensity of the match.
When two pressing teams meet each other, fouls are needed to halt quick counters or stop dribblers – this is exactly the match we expect on Saturday.
Please remember to always gamble responsibly. Our Manchester City vs Brighton tips are mere suggestions, not a call to action. Always rely on your own judgement first and foremost.