Foden double inspires Manchester City to 4-1 win at Brighton

The win moves Manchester City to 20 points, two points above Liverpool, who visits Manchester United on Sunday, and within two points of Chelsea.

Published : Oct 24, 2021 06:33 IST , BRIGHTON, ENGLAND

Manchester City's Phil Foden scored a brace in the 4-1 win against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.
Manchester City's Phil Foden scored a brace in the 4-1 win against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.
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Manchester City's Phil Foden scored a brace in the 4-1 win against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

Manchester City enjoyed a rampant 4-1 victory at Brighton and Hove Albion helped by England midfielder Phil Foden's double in its Premier League match on Saturday.

After losing its first seven Premier League games against City by an aggregate score of 21-2, in the last meeting between the teams in May, Brighton came from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

But, despite making its best-ever start to a top-flight season this term, Brighton had no answer to the City machine in the first half as the visitor had the job all but done inside 31 minutes. The win moved it up to second in the standings.

Pep Guardiola's side battered the Brighton goal from the start, racing into a 13th minute lead through Ilkay Gundogan after a mistake from home goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

City soon extended its lead as Foden got his first of the match, steering Jack Grealish's square pass into the net in the 28th minute, before the 21-year-old got the final touch on Gabriel Jesus' shot to make it 3-0 three minutes later.

The visitor took its foot off the gas in the second period, with Alexis Mac Allister's penalty nine minutes from time giving Brighton a consolation goal.

READ: Premier League: Leader Chelsea thumps sorry Norwich 7-0

City substitute Riyad Mahrez put the icing on the cake with the fourth goal in stoppage time, sealing a win that moved the champion to 20 points, two points above Liverpool, who visits Manchester United on Sunday, and within two points of Chelsea.

Brighton stays fourth on 15 points from nine games.

GOOD LESSON

"I know what it means coming here against this team, against this manager and this stadium and win here," Guardiola said.

"It is a good lesson that in football it must be played with the ball and when you don't have it you suffer. Brighton are so hard to play against for 90 minutes. Against another opponent the game would be over (at 3-0), against this team it was not over."

Brighton's Lewis Dunk had already had to make an acrobatic goal-line clearance to keep City at bay before Gundogan broke the deadlock, with Bernardo Silva hooking the ball into the German's path after Sanchez had failed to gather a cross.

Brighton had only conceded six goals in eight league games prior to City's visit, but it had soon shipped two more, thanks to Foden.

City finished the first half having had nine shots on target - more than any other side in a Premier League match this season - but it was Brighton who started stronger after the break, with Leandro Trossard denied by a smart save from Ederson.

The home side did get a deserved goal through substitute Mac Allister, after Ederson fouled Enock Mwepu in the penalty area, with Foden missing another chance to net his first City treble before he picked out Mahrez to fire home the fourth.

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