Pep Guardiola faces a crucial test when his Manchester City team travels to the Amex Stadium for their third Premier League fixture against Brighton on August 31, 2025. The match, scheduled for 18:00 local time, comes as both teams look to improve after mixed starts to the season.
"We need to analyze our mistakes from the Tottenham game and show our true quality against Brighton," Guardiola might be telling his squad after their recent setback.
The "Citizens" began their campaign in impressive fashion, dismantling Wolverhampton 4-0 in their opening match. Erling Haaland showed promising form, benefiting from improved midfield support compared to last season. However, City's momentum hit a wall in their second fixture when they fell 0-2 to Tottenham under new manager Thomas Frank, exposing issues Guardiola still needs to address.
Meanwhile, the "Seagulls" have been struggling despite showing promise in their play. Brighton kicked off with a 1-1 draw against Fulham, followed by a 0-2 defeat at Everton - a match where they dominated possession (58%) and created better chances (2.44 xG compared to Everton's 1.59) but failed to find the net.
Interestingly, recent history between these clubs has been competitive. Of their last five meetings, City holds a slight edge with two wins to Brighton's one, while two matches ended in draws.
Bookmakers see City as clear favorites for this clash, offering odds of 1.86 for an away victory. But here's the question - can Brighton finally convert their promising buildup play into goals against one of the league's toughest opponents? Or will Guardiola's men get back to winning ways?
The game shapes up as a potential goalfest, with City's attacking prowess likely to test Brighton's defense while the home side desperately seeks to solve their finishing problems.
