Manchester City vs Brighton prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-10-20 14:00.
The international break came at the perfect time for Manchester City, who have suffered back-to-back Premier League (PL) losses for just the third time under Pep Guardiola. Even in defeat at Arsenal, Guardiola insisted he and his squad “know exactly what to do” to make up lost ground in the early stages of the season, and relying on their home form may be top of the list as they’ve won a remarkable 20 consecutive competitive matches at the Etihad Stadium.
The Spaniard has only ever experienced three consecutive league defeats once in his storied managerial career, so he’ll be pleased to see Brighton as the next visitors to Manchester given that City have never lost a H2H on home soil in the 99-year history of this fixture (W11, D2). Protecting that record would help them avoid a third loss in their first nine matches of a PL season for just the second time in 15 seasons, with the only previous occasion in that sequence in 2013/14 seeing them recover to win the title.
Brighton were also grateful for the latest international interruption, as they bring a four-match winless streak into the resumption (D2, L2). The added strain of European football is starting to take its toll on Roberto De Zerbi and his squad, but while their form may be lacking, entertainment certainly isn’t, as the Seagulls’ eight PL matches have yielded a division-high 37 goals!
De Zerbi will need his forwards on top form if Brighton are to end a ten-match losing streak in away H2Hs, but his side have struggled on the road of late, failing to win any of their last three road trips (D1, L2). The Seagulls’ last success on their travels did come in Manchester against City’s arch-rivals United though, and a repeat of that outcome would see Brighton leapfrog the treble winners in the PL table.
Key battle: With City’s forward line misfiring, the reliability of Ederson in goal could be key. He assisted an Erling Haaland goal in last season’s corresponding fixture, while he’s kept seven clean sheets in 11 personal H2Hs – the second-most against any opposition in his career. Evan Ferguson will be looking to beat him, and Brighton carry the luck of the Irish with them when he’s on target, winning each of the last six matches he’s scored in.
Hot streak: None of Brighton’s last ten PL away matches ended in a draw (W5, L5).