Manchester City 4-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
It may appear condescending, but Brighton actually did quite well here.
Yes, they were on the wrong end of a 4-0 rout. Yes, they have won just one point from 39 available in Premier League away games against sides from the established top six, scoring in just three.
But how many sides go to the home of the champions and have 46 per cent possession or, more pertinently, allow Manchester City to enjoy just 54 per cent.
These are the Premier League plus points new Seagulls boss Graham Potter should take from this.
He has nothing else as even he will realise City are on a different planet when it comes to most of their English opponents.
Highlights of the game
Some of City’s numerous memorable moments last season came against Brighton. They were not always at their best but always had enough to overcome their opponents, whether in the FA Cup or the league.
It was particularly memorable for the Citizens as they clinched back-to-back titles on the final day against the Seagulls.
With Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero in such clinical form, a convincing home win looked inevitable but even the SBOBET Premier League 2019 betting odds would scarcely have predicted an opener after just 68 seconds.
That’s how long it took captain David Silva, fresh from a milestone performance to remember last weekend, to capitalise on a misjudgement from Davy Propper and slide the ball across with ease to Kevin de Bruyne.
It wasn’t one for the Premier League 2019 highlights compilation but the tone had been set for the afternoon as City, as expected, largely controlled the contest.
The loss of influential defender Aymeric Laporte, who was carried off on a stretcher after he went down clutching his knee was a worrying sight, though.
City can only hope he will not be sidelined for too long, especially now that Vincent Kompany has departed and John Stones is injured.
This was the kind of afternoon his replacement, Fernandinho, could coast through.
He would have admired from a distance as Riyad Mahrez back-heeled De Bruyne into space and Sergio Aguero received the Belgian’s pass inside before thumping the ball past Mat Ryan after two expert touches to work an angle.
Brighton continued to battle and would have gone level before half-time as Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard were in promising positions. Luckily for City, Ederson and Fernandinho were on hand to thwart them.
Aguero showed his unquestionable class five minutes after the break, finishing superbly from the edge of the box with a curling shot after a subtle first-time touch from Silva.
City do not just possess one Silva, of course, but two. Substitute Bernardo Silva completed the scoring with his second touch after replacing his namesake.
Quality always shines through.
Key statistics
De Bruyne has been directly involved in nine goals in his last seven starts in the Premier League (two goals, seven assists).
Aguero has scored with each of his last seven shots on target in the Premier League for Manchester City.
Aguero has now scored 98 goals at the Etihad Stadium – only Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford (101) and Thierry Henry at Highbury (114) have scored more goals at a single venue in the competition’s history.
Since his Premier League debut in August 2010, David Silva has assisted 87 Premier League goals — 27 more than any other player.
City have won their last six matches against Brighton in all competitions, including all five league games in the previous two seasons and an FA Cup semi-final in April.
Brighton have never won a league match away at Man City in 10 attempts and have lost their last six in a row.
They last claimed league points against City in a second-tier game in April 1989, winning 2-1 at the Goldstone Ground thanks to an Alan Curbishley penalty and an Ian Brightwell own goal.
City have now won 52 of 54 points since they lost to Newcastle in January.
City have been victorious in 17 of their last 18 league matches that have kicked-off at 3 pm on a Saturday. The only game that they failed to win was a 3-2 defeat to Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace last December.
That loss is the only one of Pep Guardiola’s 33 top-flight defeats as a manager that has come against an English boss.
City have now beaten their club record of scoring in 25 consecutive Premier League matches, set from April to December 2017. Only Arsenal (55 games from 2001-2002) and Manchester United (36 from 2007-2008) have had longer scoring streaks.
Brighton’s midweek win over Bristol Rovers was only their second victory in their last 16 matches in all competitions.
They have failed to win any of their 13 league matches against reigning top-flight champions – the most games without a victory of any team in English football history.
What’s next?
City travel to Carrow Road next (September 14) to face promoted Norwich, just after Brighton finish their home match against Burnley.
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