(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Man City - Brighton

It's been a whole month since the Blues last played here at the Etihad Stadium and with the opponents Brighton and Hobarvian having a reputation for playing with an open attractive style this does look like being a mouth-watering spectacle. Well there will be a moment silence for the situation in Israel and Gaza followed by a moment's applause to remember the late great Francis Lee who sadly passed away. So a City win, we'll see them return to the top of the table, a Brighton victory, we'll see them leapfrog City. Doku towards the edge of the area, inside he goes, hits the shot, wide at a target, not by much and his reaction tells you that he thought he may have scored for a moment, turns away in frustration but already that was a really good devastating attack. Rodri turns away beautifully done from Rodri, already stepping back in where he left off, remember he did play of course in the Champions League game during that three-game domestic ban and City won away at RB Leipzig which again shows his importance Andy. Absolutely, just watching there early on and there's something that stands out so clear for me, Walker, the tone was too narrow and Walker's in continuing. And Alvarez has scored, Andy was describing how much City were doing things tactically and the ball just came into the area and Alvarez with his left foot guided it, oh I think he hits it into the ground and it bounced beyond the goalkeeper, goal number seven for him and he's now netted 17 goals in 17 games here at the Etihad. A little simple ball from Doku just inside, just skips past him as if he's not there and then I think it might be the ball, hits it into his own foot, scooped over the keeper. Now here's Haaland, first chance for him, on the edge of the area and scores! Brilliant from Erling Haaland, he's barely touched the ball, he gets it on the edge of the D, Brighton lost possession of the ball in a dangerous part of the pitch and about three seconds later Erling Haaland wraps it into the corner, 2-0. It's a simple ball in, that's reckless, trying to play in the wrong area, little deflection and this is a brilliant finish, he does it with the eyes, he's expecting Haaland to go to the far corner and he just whips it back across his body and it's a brilliant finish. Well that is the 61st goal that Erling Haaland has scored for City and I think I'm right in saying only the second one that he scored from outside the box, I think the other one was against Wolves away last season. Alvarez now along the centre circle, it goes to Bernardo Silva, Doku wants it, Doku gets it, Milner comes across, Brighton are stretched, Doku's going at Milner, round the outside, drills it in low and Dunk scoops it away, and every time the ball goes left there's danger. He goes that quick, it's difficult to get bodies into the box. But here comes City again with Foden, great dribble, on it goes to Bernardo Silva, getting towards the final third, wide it goes to Doku, Doku in the penalty area, tries a shot, just wide. Oh he's going to get one of those in, when you can go outside or in, you leave your full back in a spin and he keeps doing it to Milner. Now here's Doku in the left wing position, on it goes to Foden, Foden across the face of the goal, parried away dramatically by Jason Steele. Steele plays it into the gap for Matoma, Matoma going towards, well he's gone beyond Foden, he's gone beyond Okanji, Okanji's going to get booked for a foul, did well Matoma, he is a very good ball carrier, took a foul from Okanji to stop him. Foden scampering forward, tries to find Haaland, he does, Haaland brings it down, Haaland in the penalty area, can he get his shot away? Yes he can, good save by Steele. First chance that Haaland's had in the second half and it was parried away by Steele, and it just shows you he doesn't need any room really, he can create his own space and well he's probably had two attempts in the match, both on target, one goes in, one saved. Veltman is going to have to go backwards, Dunk then hits it long but it's a good ball and all of a sudden they're dancing forward, Ansu Fati into Matoma, Ortega came and blocked it, great chance for Brighton, wonderful save by Ortega, and why was City so exposed there? It's a lack of energy, it is a good save, but he's focused, he exposed, he got himself into no man's land and Matoma will be really disappointed with the effort, although Ortega's got to take credit for the save. So Brighton's first corner of the match in the 70th minute, this game far from over, corner comes in from March, Ortega's missed it and Brighton have put it wide, Matoma should have scored, a section of the Brighton fans thought he had and Ortega is delighted that he didn't. You just start to wonder if all the players who've been away on international duty to all four corners of the globe, whether or not starting to just take its toll on the Blues, now Doku comes forward, Steele comes out, he's cleared it only as far as Alvarez, Alvarez tries the bending shot, it was on target, goalkeeper was out of position, but to be fair Dunk took up a great spot just behind, so Ruben Diaz and Jack Grish are going to come on, but not before Matoma goes at Walker, he's getting beyond Walker, he's in the penalty area, the ball comes across, the shot comes in, Brighton score, Ansu Fati, Andy, well you sensed it, you felt it, and now they've got it, it's City 2, Brighton 1, and Andy, you just felt it was on its way, absolutely, you know, just too easy, just wide open, and there's a lack of energy, and there's a lack of cohesion, and they got a bit fortunate, but big 20-25 minutes left here, for City, gonna have to be strong. We're in the fifth minute of added time, there's going to be at least another four minutes to go, the ball goes backwards to Dunk inside the penalty area, now Grose, and Grose up too, and City are out of shape here, Akanji's been penalised and he was booked earlier, oh dear, this might be trouble for Akanji, he's going, he's going, second yellow, City are going to go down to 10, Akanji's been sent off, second yellow card, the Blues will play with 10 for the last four minutes of the fixture, two bookings for Manuel Akanji, and off he goes. They're back into possession, Brighton, he's been caught, free kick to Brighton in the left wing position, only about 10 metres inside the City half, Phil Foden is absolutely appalled by that decision, you just feel that this might be the last chance of the match, City have to defend this free kick, the delivery comes in now, out comes Ortega and takes it in his body, and flops to the floor, and maybe in that moment the game is over, the referee sounds his whistle, three points hard-earned for the Blues, they've got over the line, and after a run of two defeats they're back into winning ways, and top of the Premier League table, the final score, City 2, Brighton 1.