Premier League: Is this the Perfect Time for the Seagulls to Meet the Champions? 

Brighton and Hove Albion vs Manchester City

Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton and Hove Albion are the next club to face Manchester City when the Sky Blues head south on Wednesday.

There’s never really a good time to take on Pep Guardiola’s truly brilliant side but, if you had a choice then you’d surely pick the week after they had become champions, and at a time when they are preparing for Champions League and FA Cup finals. Of course City won the league before they even took the field against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, but they still won 1-0 without ever getting out of second gear.

Premier League: Brighton vs Manchester City should be an entertaining affair but it won’t be an exhibition match because the Seagulls can nail down their sixth place with a positive result, and a win will keep their chances of catching Liverpool in fifth alive. And Guardiola’s City simply hate losing, and are on an unbeaten run of 24 matches in all competitions. 

So yes, this is about as good a time as you could wish for to play the Sky Blues, but the Brighton vs Manchester City betting odds still don’t back the hosts.   

Talking Points

Sky Blues Treble Strategy  

Guardiola made nine changes for City’s home game against Chelsea on Sunday and there was an odd atmosphere in the Etihad Stadium as the packed crowd waited for their heroes to be crowned champions, while watching some rather pedestrian football after Julian Alvarez scored a 12^th minute winner. It probably says more about the plight of Chelsea that the win came so easy.

The Sky Blues started with Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and keeper Ederson on the bench. City’s substitutes have scored 64 Premier League goals this season, more than 14 other top flight clubs’ totals and an incredible 24 more than Chelsea.

With an FA Cup final against Manchester United coming up on the 3^rd June and a Champions League final against Inter Milan on the 10^th Guardiola will do all he can to ensure he has his best players fit and ready. The Sky Blues are odds on the won both games but both could be problematic. The Red Devils will fight tooth and nail to stop their rivals while Inter Milan will be well organised defensively.

This match against Brighton will be a superb warm-up but Pep won’t take any risks.       

Brighton in Europe

The Seagulls have qualified for European competition for the first time in their 121 year history and that is huge credit to De Zerbi who has improved on Graham Potters’ ninth placed finish last term. Brighton are in totally new territory; in fact the only national competitions the Seagulls have ever won are the Third and Forth Division titles, though they also reached the FA Cup final in 1983.

But this is a different Brighton, known for its attacking style of football and able to take on the best teams in the land. They secured qualification for Europe with a 3-1 win over relegated Southampton as 18 year old striker Evan Ferguson continued his rapid upward trajectory with a first half double. The Saints pulled one back through Mohammed Elyounoussi but Pascal Gross confirmed the points with a clinical finish.

The result means that sixth place, and Europa League qualification, is all but guaranteed; Aston Villa need to beat Brighton with a 16 goal swing on the final day to overtake them, and that isn’t going to happen. But a point from either that game or the clash with Manchester City will confirm Brighton’s position mathematically.

De Zerbi’s team has blown a little hot and cold recently. The Seagulls’ trip to Newcastle last week ended in a 4-1 defeat and they recently lost 5-1 at home to Everton, but they followed those results up with a 3-0 win at Arsenal and then victory over the Saints.    

History

The head to head Brighton vs Manchester City results have been kind to the Sky Blues who have 11 of the 13 meetings with Brighton, losing two; and the Champions won the return match 3-1.

City are also unbeaten in 24 games and have won five from the last six, while Brighton have won four from six.

Betting Tip

Manchester City are hot favourites for yet another win, at SBOTOP odds of 1.74, while the draw is at 3.64 and Brighton at 3.64 to win. But with little resting on this game we could see a surprise result.    

There have been two goals or more in the first half of three of the Seagulls’ last four games and in two of City’s last three, while Alvarez bagged early in the Sky Blues’ one goal win over Chelsea. So I’m going for a first half with goals.   

 

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