Brighton 0-4 Manchester City: Phil Foden double closes gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to one point

Report and free match highlights as Manchester City close gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to one point with 4-0 victory at Brighton; Kevin De Bruyne opens scoring with superb diving header; Phil Foden nets first-half double; Julian Alvarez adds fourth in second half

David Richardson

@DRichardson_4

Friday 26 April 2024 06:03, UK

Phil Foden scored twice as Manchester City closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to one point with a flawless 4-0 victory at Brighton.

Arsenal had moved four clear of City with a midweek win over Chelsea while Liverpool slipped up at Merseyside rivals Everton - and Pep Guardiola's side responded with a fine performance on the south coast to keep their title fate in their own hands.

City had the win wrapped up by half-time after Kevin De Bruyne planted a superb diving header high into the net before Foden struck twice with a deflected free-kick and a ruthless finish into the bottom left corner from a Brighton mistake.

Julian Alvarez capped the perfect evening for Pep Guardiola's side with the fourth in the second half, sweeping in from close range following good work from Kyle Walker.

Player ratings:

Brighton: Steele (7), Veltman (5), Dunk (5), Van Hecke (5), Barco (5), Gross (6), Baleba (5), Lallana (5), Moder (5), Welbeck (6), Pedro (6).

Subs: Adingra (6), Offiah (6), Igor (6), O’Mahony (6)

Man City: Ederson (7), Walker (8), Akanji (7), Ake (7), Gvardiol (7), Rodri (7), Kovacic (7), De Bruyne (8), Bernardo Silva (7), Foden (8), Alvarez (8).

Subs: Grealish (6), Nunes (6), Doku (6), Gomez (6), Lewis (6)

Player of the Match: Phil Foden

How City eased past Brighton

Ederson had to save from Danny Welbeck inside the first two minutes but City's quality soon came through with De Bruyne brilliantly powering Walker's cross home with his head from 12 yards.

Julian Alvarez deputised well up front for the injured Erling Haaland, flashing a shot across goal, with Brighton unable to find a way out of City's press.

The hosts were unfortunate twice in conceding the second. Foden was awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box after losing his footing and his set piece was diverted in off Pascal Gross.

Team news:

Adam Lallana started for Brighton while goalkeeper Jason Steele replaced Bart Verbruggen. Valentin Barco came in at left-back for Pervis Estupinan after he was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Man City made three changes their FA Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea. Ederson, Nathan Ake and Mateo Kovacic came in for Stefan Ortega, Jack Grealish and John Stones. Julian Alvarez started up front in place of the injured Erling Haaland.

Brighton had bravely tried to play out from the back yet were undone when Bernardo Silva cut out the pass of young left-back Valentin Barco and the ball ran for Foden to finish.

Gross saw his penalty appeal waved away early in the second half when he went down under pressure from Rodri before Nathan Ake escaped when the ball hit his right arm in the box.

Up the other end, Alvarez had two attempts at goal, but it was with his third that the net rippled. Ederson found Walker down the Brighton left with a long pass and the right-back powered into the area, sliding in for the ball with Steele forcing it to Alavarez who turned into an empty net.

The frustrated home fans were left raging when their third penalty appeal of the evening turned down after Joao Pedro hit the deck in the box having tangled legs with Josko Gvardiol.

Pedro missed Brighton's best chance late on from close range while substitute Jeremy Doku was denied City's fifth by the left foot of Steele in injury time.

Pep: We could slip up like Liverpool

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is warning his side against complacency after the 4-0 win against Brighton in the Premier League suggesting a slip-up like Liverpool's at Everton could cost them in the title race.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to Sky Sports:

"The statement is three points. This is the only statement. We arrive today at 2am at home. Then after tomorrow we have to fly to Nottingham and another one. We know what we have to do to arrive at the end and try to fight to be champions.

"We have been here in the past but that doesn't mean that it's going to happen. We have to do the things to make it happen.

"We come here. We know Brighton's strengths. In the first half, we found all the right rhythm to play. We found Phil. We scored in all the right moments and the first time we arrived. The second, I don't know if he was fouled. In those moments we punished them. Brighton away is always tough. Premier League teams know it."

On the title race: "It's difficult to catch [Arsenal on goal difference]. The margin is so big. They score a lot of goals, they don't concede. The target is to win the game. We have five games left, it's a lot. One game at a time.

"Many things can happen. What happened to Liverpool, against Crystal Palace and Everton, can happen to us. It can happen to Arsenal. Nobody is safe from that. So be calm, be happy today for the victory. The players are still there. Now recover and think of the next one."

De Zerbi: The way we play has given us advantages

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Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi claims that his team should be analysed over a full season rather than single a single game after some individual mistakes cost his side in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi told Sky Sports:

"City are one of the best teams in the world and they played very well. Sorry for the first two goals. The first two goals were unlucky."

Can playing out from the back be a risk? "Yes, sometimes we took the advantage [with playing this way]. For sure if you make mistakes you can concede goals. You have to analyse how many goals we score and points we made playing the ball, then the advantages [outweigh] what we concede."

Opta Stats: Brighton slump continues

Manchester City are now unbeaten in 30 games in all competitions (W24 D6), making them the third English top-flight side to go 30+ matches without defeat, after Nottingham Forest (40 in 1978) and Manchester United (twice - 34 in 1993-94 & 33 in 1998-99).
Manchester City's Phil Foden scored his 50th (and 51st) Premier League goal, and became only the third player to score 50 top-flight goals under manager Pep Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
Brighton have won just six of their last 27 Premier League games (D11 L10) - since the start of this spell in September, only Burnley (5), Nottingham Forest (5), and Sheffield United (3) have won fewer matches in the division.
Manchester City are only the fourth side to score 4+ goals in four consecutive Premier League games, after Manchester United in April 2000, Man City themselves in May 2022, and Arsenal in March this year.