(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Brighton - Man City
A great deal has happened since the Blues last played a Premier League fixture,
a heartbreaking Champions League exit, a gritty FA Cup semi-final victory.
Arsenal and Liverpool have both played three times in the league since,
to depose City's leadership of the division that they grabbed by beating Luton Town 5-1 12 days ago.
Indeed, the Blues start here at Brighton sitting in third,
but well aware that their title destiny resides in their control.
Win their remaining six matches and they will be the champions
for an unprecedented fourth year in a row.
Brighton area with Van Gekker, it goes to Steele,
Steele to murder on the edge of the area,
on it goes to Van Gekker and into the possession of Veltman.
This is good play from Brighton, in the end City won it back though,
and Kovacic helps it on and then there's a foul on De Bruyne.
Around about 35 metres from goal, the Labour has been penalised for a challenge.
The home supporters don't like it, but of course they don't
because the decision has gone against their team.
KBV will hit an in-swinger, Foden an out-swinger.
Let's see what the choice is.
Very, very high line, incredibly high line actually.
Some of them are barely 10 metres from the ball.
It is Whitton and Ake met it, but he was on the stretch and he hit it over the bar.
Brighton said he's offside, the flag on his far side stayed down.
It wasn't an easy chance, but it was a chance.
Yeah, big chance and I think he timed his run really well.
Delivery was excellent, that out-swinger just guides it with that in-step
right into a key position.
Rodgerie level with the edge of the Brighton penalty area,
prods it back to Ake, Ake looking up, on it goes to Foden,
still some way from the Brighton goal.
Foden into the gap for Walker, Walker hits in the cross,
De Bruyne's diving header, and City have scored!
Kevin De Bruyne almost on his haunches, stooped to conquer,
and the Blues are in front.
Have you ever seen anything like that, Ali?
The diving header from De Bruyne, he's got a wonderful right foot,
we know that, he contributes with his left foot,
the build-up play was great, the delivery.
And it's like 12 yards out as the ball comes behind him,
and he just guides it onto his knees into a diving header position,
right into the top corner.
It's an absolutely incredible finish from De Bruyne,
finally City get that breakthrough.
Brighton just coming back quickly,
manager Di Zerbi will be pleased with that reaction,
but just going back to the goal from De Bruyne, a ridiculous finish.
It was, and City are coming forward again,
Alvarez in the penalty area, hits it!
Oh, it whistled by the post!
My goodness, he hit that with power.
Steele hurled himself at it, got nowhere near it,
but it flies wide, so a chance for City to make it 2-0,
Alvarez off target.
24th minute, City lead 1-0,
Kevin De Bruyne a flying diving header.
Ball is now with Foden, Foden darting to the edge of the penalty area,
great run, he lost his footing,
and the referee's given a free kick for the foul on Foden.
Foden was kind of weaving his way through,
he tried to keep on going, but in the end,
Jared Gilletts pulled it back for the initial foul,
and it was by Moda who had a nibble, or was it by Dunk?
Bruyne and Foden and Walker all around it.
Big moment.
Well, it is.
Foden and De Bruyne, who's it gonna be?
It is Foden, it takes a deflection and it's 2-0!
A deflection helps the ball beyond the helpless steal,
Foden will get the credit, not sure who it hit,
pretty sure it was a Brighton player,
but it is City 2, it is Brighton 0,
and Foden will get the credit,
and if he does, and I'm sure he will,
he now has 50 Premier League goals for the Blues,
the Blues have control.
Guardiola leaves it for Rodri,
Rodri midway inside the Brighton half,
finds Foden and then Rodri,
and then Kovacic and De Bruyne,
and you just cannot underestimate
how beautifully the Blues have been passing the ball around,
their rhythm is absolutely sensational, Michael, isn't it?
Do you know what's really good and interesting?
The passes, the determination from the players,
and then the confidence is there to keep making them,
and there's been two little short passes,
Pep's gone crazy at the last two that have gone away from them,
and that's the detail.
Even though you're two up and really playing well,
that's the demands, that's the manager,
simple passes, don't give it away.
And they've just won it back, City in the lead 3-0!
Well, we mentioned how Brighton take chances
when they play out from the back,
they did it far too often,
and they've given it away to Phil Foden,
and Foden's just passed it into the corner of the net,
a mistake from the teenager Barker,
making his first Brighton start, and it's Brighton 0-3,
and Phil Foden is on the verge of yet another City hat-trick.
Bernardo was all over it, to be honest,
and then cool, composed,
should be three points to City, Ali.
They were about 75 seconds to half-time, City lead 3-0,
in a game that, on paper at least,
looked like it was going to be one of the trickiest they faced in the run-in.
Now here comes De Bruyne, De Bruyne into the penalty area,
can he get a shot in? It hits a couple of Brighton players,
and goes out for a corner.
He looks absolutely razor-sharp, KDB.
When you're in this type of position,
to come on as a substitute doesn't get better, really.
No, it really does not.
Incidentally, a stat you'll love,
oh, I'm gonna hold it up because Foden's won it back,
and now Alvarez in a shooting position,
and it's straight at the goalkeeper who gathers it at the second attempt.
Well, again, Brighton trying to build from the back,
they got caught in possession, a stray pass, City onto them in a flash.
Alvarez hit it on target, but Steele gathered it at the second attempt.
De Bruyne, tackle just as he was trying to release across,
and it goes back from Buleba into Steele,
Steele onto van Gekker, van Gekker helps it,
I know it's risky football this, and in the end they lose it,
and then they win it back through Dunk, and then they lose it again,
and City are in the penalty area, and Alvarez tries the shot,
but he bends it wide of the angle of post and bar.
He's having sighters today, but he hasn't scored just yet.
Just talking about sticking or twisting,
City 3-0 up with half an hour to go, people keep talking about goal difference,
at what stage do you start thinking in terms of this match is won,
and at which stage do you start thinking about goal difference, Michael?
Or do you never start thinking about goal difference?
On the bench we've got three great attackers who will go perfectly into this position,
get in advanced areas to try and score a goal, but it's a rare opportunity.
Yeah, and Walker's coming forward, he's in the penalty area,
Ederson released him, Walker's still there,
and on it goes to Alvarez, and it's 4-0!
Kyle Walker had made a wonderful burst forward,
it's a brilliant ball from Ederson, a wonderful burst from Walker,
and he's so brave in this sliding challenge,
and he gets the ball across to Alvarez so bravely,
and Alvarez turns it into the net.
Thinking it's going to open up for Walker, he's gone such a long way.
Then he gambles, he dives into the goalkeeper,
it's slightly dangerous for Steele as he approaches it,
but it spills out and Alvarez turns it home,
we're just waiting for the reaction now.
It has now been given, it is 4-0 to the Blues,
Julian Alvarez does have his goal.
Just over five minutes to go at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton 0-4 City.
Now they're coming down the outside,
Brighton looking to get across into the area,
and it's put wide by Joao Pedro.
Glorious opportunity, and he missed it.
Yeah, he missed it, good work, left-hand side,
drives into the space, cuts the ball back.
It was difficult, it was underneath him, wasn't it?
Such quality, but I think Ederson, the position was really good.
We're in the fourth of five added minutes.
The fire tiptoeing forward, trying to get into City's territory,
but the ball goes back to van Gekker.
Van Gekker plays it straight into the possession of Guardiola,
who clips it on to Doku, and it breaks now for Alvarez.
Alvarez on to Doku, chance for a fifth!
Good save by Steele with the legs, actually.
Real good chance for Doku, hit it with power,
Alvarez played it to Doku, Doku hit the shot,
it was saved by Steele, then Alvarez tried to get control of the ball,
and in the end he lost it, and it went out for a Brighton throw.
So, absolutely brilliant night's work from City.
They take each game as it comes, each challenge as it's presented.
The Blues have won at the Amex Stadium by four goals to nil.