admin Manchester City beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 in the Premier League thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.
Manchester City returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brighton on Saturday.
Julian Alvarez put the Blues ahead after just a few minutes when he headed home after Jeremy Doku’s excellent run. Erling Haaland then doubled the gap with a sharp finish from outside the box.
Things looked bright for City, but Brighton fought back in the second half and had several chances to score before Ansu Fati finally pulled one back. The Seagulls continued to search for an equalizer and were even more excited when Manuel Akanji was sent off for a second yellow card.
But Pep Guardiola’s side held on for an important win. Here are the ratings:
Ortega: Did well to block Mitoma through on goal in the second half but his kicking was ropey, putting City under pressure. 6
Walker: Keeping Mitoma quiet proved tricky, even if he was probably the best man for the job. 6
Stones: A way off his best, although that is still decent. Added a composure to the team that has been missing. 7
Akanji: Played Gross onside for Brighton’s best chance and was also booked to mean he had to be more cautious, so the second yellow was soft but he had no excuse. 4
Gvardiol: Kept his side tidy and pushed up when he could, building those partnerships with the attack. 7
Rodri: His decision-making kept City cool, although he got another stupid yellow card and then risked further punishment by arguing it. 7
Foden: City’s best player, coasting through the midfield and pinging passes to all areas of the pitch. 8
Alvarez: Another goal to add to his impressive season, although he struggled to stay in the game after his early strike. 6
Silva: Another all-action performance covering more of the pitch than anyone else. City benefitted from his tireless running. 7
Doku: Some sublime play that included a wonderful assist for the first goal, and also a lot of wasteful play. 7
Haaland: Another goal, and a much better performance than before the international break, keeping the ball when nobody else was towards the end. 7
Substitutes
Dias (for Stones, 75): Steadied the ship. 6
Grealish (for Doku, 75): A silly booking. 5
Ake (for Alvarez, 96): N/A.
Not used: Ederson Gomez, Lewis, Phillips, Kovacic, Nunes
