07’
90 +5’
A goal from Erling Haaland helped Manchester City to return to winning ways, with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
City started the match in explosive fashion with early goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland. However, a goal for Brighton’s Ansu Fati and a red card for Manuel Akanji made it a nervy ending for the home fans.
In the seventh minute Jeremy Doku brilliantly skipped past Pascal Gross in the box to find Alvarez who scored with a mishit shot for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.
Haaland capitalised from a mistake from Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba to dispatch a powerful shot from outside the box to break his two-game goal drought.
After being dominated in the opening half, Brighton showed more fight after the break. In the 69th minute, Kaoru Mitoma was put through on goal but could not curl his shot round the onrushing Ortega on target.
But the Japanese winger was involved in the Brighton goal. He beat Kyle Walker and sent in a cross that Manuel Akanji failed to clear, allowing substitute Fati to score the rebound.
In stoppage time Akanji’s woes deepened as he was sent off for a second yellow card.
But City hung on to return back to the top of the Premier League on 21 points, while Brighton drop to seventh with 16 points.
Man City report |Brighton report
Match officials
Referee: Rob Jones. Assistants: Tim Wood, Steve Meredith. Fourth official: Jeremy Simpson. VAR: Michael Salisbury. Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin.
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