Brighton versus Man City is building up to be one of the most interesting games of the Premier League this weekend. The Seagulls host Pep Guardiola's title winners at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, August 31, 2025, with both teams seeking redemption following last weekend's underwhelming league performance.
Brighton lost 2-0 to Everton in an infuriating performance but regained confidence with a 6-0 trouncing of Oxford United in the Carabao Cup. City, on the other hand, launched their campaign with a hammering 4-0 victory over Wolves before being shocked 2-0 by Tottenham, ending an 11-game unbeaten league streak.
The Seagulls have positive memories of this match, winning four points from six against Manchester City in the previous season. New manager Fabian Hürzeler might even become only the second manager, Ronald Koeman being the first, to be unbeaten in his first three games against Guardiola. City's dominant away record five successive clean sheets on the road, though, makes them strong favorites.
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, O'Riley, Mitoma; Welbeck.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Trafford; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Aït-Nouri; Rodri, Silva, Reijnders; Cherki, Haaland, Marmoush.
Brighton was a difficult test for Manchester City last season, holding the reigning champions to a point and beating them on one occasion as well. Although City have long dominated this tie in recent seasons, Brighton's consistent improvement reflects the increasing competitiveness of the match between these two teams. Nevertheless, City are still heavily favored by bookmakers to win, considering their depth and form. But Brighton's unbeaten home run cannot be ignored, with this meeting representing a possibly perilous test for Pep Guardiola's side.
