Manchester City v Albion
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Date: Saturday 31st August 2019
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Referee: Johnathan Moss
Assistants: Marc Perry, Simon Bennett
Fourth official: Robert Jones
VAR: David Coote
Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis
TEAM NEWS
Manchester City defender John Stones is back in training after a thigh injury and could be involved.
Gabriel Jesus is still out with a hamstring problem and long-term injury victims Benjamin Mendy and Leroy Sane are also absent.
Brighton striker Florin Andone is suspended following his red card against Southampton.
Yves Bissouma, Jose Izquierdo and Ezequiel Schelotto all remain on the sidelines.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Martin Fisher: "Only three weeks in and already the embryonic Premier League table looks very familiar with Manchester City and Liverpool top of the pile, although at the moment it is last season's challengers who lead the defending champions by two points.
"Of course only a VAR controversy denied Pep's men their 100% record as they were held at home by Tottenham. That draw is City's only blip since January and it is difficult, near impossible in fact, to make a case for Brighton doing anything similar.
"Under Graham Potter the Seagulls have made their best ever Premier League start but with Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero in such clinical form a convincing home win looks inevitable."
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Brighton: "They have a new manager and have made some changes.
"They will play five in the back so they are more aggressive in terms of high press and they start quite well and in their game against Southampton played with 10 men for 55 minutes."
Graham Potter: "It's excitement and it's a great challenge that you play against the best team.
"It's always a fantastic opportunity to play against the champions, especially at their home.
"It is the toughest challenge you are going to get but a great opportunity for us to learn about ourselves."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
[*=left]Manchester City have won their last five matches against Brighton in all competitions, including all four league games in the previous two seasons and a FA Cup semi-final in April.
[*=left]Brighton have never won a league match away at Man City in nine attempts and have lost their last five in a row.
[*=left]They last claimed league points against City in a second-tier game in April 1989, winning 2-1 at the Goldstone Ground thanks to an Alan Curbishley penalty and an Ian Brightwell own goal.
Manchester City
[*=left]Manchester City have won 49 of 51 points since they lost to Newcastle in January.
[*=left]City have been victorious in 16 of their last 17 league matches that have kicked-off at 3pm on a Saturday - the only game that they failed to win was a 3-2 defeat to Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace in December 2018.
[*=left]That loss is the only one of Pep Guardiola's 32 top-flight defeats as a manager that has come against an English boss.
[*=left]They have equalled their club record of scoring in 25 consecutive Premier League matches, set from April to December 2017. Only Arsenal (55 games from 2001-2002) and Manchester United (36 from 2007-2008) have had longer scoring streaks.
[*=left]Raheem Sterling has scored five goals this season (joint-most with Teemu Pukki) - only Edin Dzeko (six in 2011) and Chris Sutton (six in 1997) have netted more Premier League goals in August in a single season.
Albion
[*=left]Their midweek win over Bristol Rovers was only their second victory in their last 15 matches in all competitions.
[*=left]They have failed to win any of their 12 league matches against reigning top-flight champions - the most games without a victory of any team in English football history.
[*=left]They have won just one point from 36 available in Premier League away games against sides from the established top six. They've conceded at least once in each of those games and have scored in just three.
