Man City vs Brighton preview, prediction, team news and head-to-head

Following a late setback in their last match, the title contenders find themselves in a tense battle for the title, while the Seagulls arrive in Manchester looking to build on their first victory of the new year.

Manchester City come into this fixture after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday. Pep Guardiola's side appeared to have secured all three points through a Tijjani Reijnders goal, but a 94th-minute equaliser from Enzo Fernandez left them six points behind league leaders Arsenal. 

This result followed a goalless draw with Sunderland, meaning the Citizens have now dropped points in consecutive games. 

The pressure is mounting on the champions to find their clinical edge again, especially as their defensive line has looked vulnerable during the current injury crisis.

Brighton, meanwhile, ended a difficult six-match winless streak by defeating Burnley 2-0 last Saturday. Goals from Georginio Rutter and Yasin Ayari provided a much-needed boost for Fabian Hurzeler’s men, who had struggled throughout December. 

Despite their recent inconsistent form, the Seagulls have remained a tough side to beat on the road, losing only one of their last fourteen league matches. 

They currently sit in the top half of the table and will view this trip to the Etihad as an opportunity to exploit a depleted Manchester City defence.

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Brighton have proven to be a bogey team for Manchester City in recent times. The Seagulls recorded a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Citizens earlier this season in November, thanks to late goals from Georginio Rutter and Brajan Gruda.

 In their most recent meeting at the Etihad in March 2025, the sides played out a thrilling 2-2 draw. Brighton have never won a league game at the Etihad Stadium, with their best results being occasional draws.

Manchester City are facing a genuine defensive crisis. Both Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias were forced off during the draw with Chelsea and are major doubts for Wednesday. 

They join John Stones and Nathan Ake on a crowded injury list, which may force Pep Guardiola to use academy players or move midfielders into the backline. 

Furthermore, Mateo Kovacic is out with an ankle problem, and key attackers Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are away on international duty for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Brighton are also missing several key figures. Carlos Baleba is away on international duty, while Solly March and Adam Webster remain sidelined with long-term knee injuries. 

There are also concerns over the fitness of Mats Wieffer and Yankuba Minteh, who will undergo late fitness tests. 

However, the return of Kaoru Mitoma and the recent goalscoring form of Georginio Rutter provide plenty of attacking threat for the visitors.

Manchester City (4-3-2-1): Donnarumma – Nunes, Aké, Khusanov, O’Reilly – Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Reijnders – Cherki, Foden – Haaland

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen – Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu – Ayari, Diego Gomez – Gruda, Rutter, Mitoma – Kostoulas

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Manchester City are desperate for a win to stay in the title race, but their decimated defence will struggle to keep a clean sheet against a creative Brighton side. 

The visitors have the ability to keep the ball and frustrate the host, much like they did in their victory earlier this season. 

While Manchester City remain the favourites at home, this should be a high-scoring affair with chances at both ends.