Brighton need beware the Manchester City backlash

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Or in this case, hell hath no fury like a Manchester City side who have lost two games in a row… surely Brighton could not make it three, could they?

If Roberto De Zerbi and the Albion were to inflict further misery on last season’s treble winners, it would be the first time Pep Guardiola will have lost three Premier League games on the bounce since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium in 2016.

The only certainty that surrounds Manchester City hosting Brighton seems to be uncertainty. This is born out in the wildly different outcomes put out there on Chris Sutton’s BBC Predictions page, where this week he was up against Joelah & Keke of Radio 1Xtra’s Throwback Party. No, I have no idea either.

Sutton goes for a score more in keeping with the opening 12 overs of a cricket match in which Sussex are batting, predicting 6-2.

Joelah reckons a much closer 2-1 victory for the champions. Keke meanwhile goes completely the other way, believing Brighton will come away with a 3-2 win and a little bit of history.

If Keke is right, then how long will the bromance between Guardiola and Roberto De Zerbi last? Guardiola has heaped praise on the Albion head coach in the past, even going so far as to apparently tell his players following the 1-1 draw between Brighton and Manchester City at the Amex back in May that De Zerbi would be the next Citizens boss.

Speaking before the Seagulls take on City at the Etihad, Guardiola said of De Zerbi: “I think I admire him for the fact it doesn’t matter the team he plays, he proved you don’t have to be in a top, top, top club or with top, top exceptional players to make your team play how you like to play.”

“I’m a spectator mainly as a manager and I enjoy a lot watching his teams play, I learn, like it and what he does makes sense.”

“Even when they lost to Villa, he plays his own style, it doesn’t matter transitions, deflections, Aston Villa, a top side this season for the quality they have with the manager and players, but they do play, it doesn’t matter.”

“Tomorrow will be an example. It will be one of the toughest tests we have this season. We’ll try to go for it.”

We have been here before, of course. Guardiola described Graham Potter as the best English manager, only to refuse to shake Glow Up’s hand when Brighton beat Manchester City 3-2 at the Amex in May 2021.

The Man with the Shiny Bonce is full of sweet words and compliments… until you have the nerve to go and beat him. That reaction will surely be magnified many times over if the Albion inflict a history-making defeat on Guardiola and City.

At the same time, a Brighton victory would take its own place in the Albion record books. The Seagulls have never won away against City, be it at Maine Road or the Etihad; when City were strugglers or in their current era of sportswashing blood money for Abu Dhabi.

In the Premier League, there have been heavy defeats at the Etihad under Chris Hughton and Potter. Potter also put up a couple of closer-run losses, although in truth the Albion never looked likely to end their barren run visiting the blue half of Manchester in either of those.

Brighton did though have City worried last season. Two controversial goals – one a penalty – from Erling Haaland had the hosts 2-0 to the good going into half time.

After the break, De Zerbi ditched Potter’s back three and for the first time used his own favourite formation of 4-2-3-1. The Albion were subsequently all over City in a way few teams ever manage.

Leandro Trossard pulled one back, at which point Brighton looked more likely to equalise than City find a winner. That was until the world class Kevin De Bruyne did something world class, pulling a magnificent goal from 30 yards out of nowhere to win it.

The second half at the Etihad that day was a turning point for Brighton under De Zerbi. Having become the first ever Albion manager to go winless through his opening four games in charge, De Zerbi deployed 4-2-3-1 from the start the following week against Chelsea at the Amex. The rest, as they say, is history.

When you throw in the even-more entertaining 1-1 draw which Brighton shared with Manchester City in Sussex back in May, then you can see why many are expecting Saturday afternoon at the Etihad to provide the game of the weekend in the Premier League.

That enthralling stalemate was to watch two teams go hammer and nail at each other, playing beautiful football from another planet. The speed, the movement, the intricate passing… you could not take your eyes off it for a second.

And the Albion proved more than a match for a side who had won their previous 12 Premier League matches in a row. Capped off of course by Julio Enciso scoring the Goal of the Season.

Little wonder that Sutton accompanied his 6-2 prediction with the comments: “I am at this game for 5 Live and I am really looking forward to it.”

“Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi is fearless, and Manchester City are clearly going to be on the front foot too, so I feel like this will be a great game to watch.”

“The thing with Brighton is that you are never sure how it is going to go for them. It is possible we could see something similar to their defeat at Aston Villa in September, when they played in their usual open way, and got thumped 6-1.”

“If I’m right, there will be goals, excitement, entertaining football and me on the co-commentary – what more could you ask for on a Saturday afternoon?”

From a Brighton point of view, three points would be nice, Chris. A place in the history books. A Guardiola meltdown. And if we are being really greedy, bumping into Sarah Platt and taking her for a nice curry dinner.

None of that could not possibly happen… could it?