[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City *** Official Match Thread ***

[Dick Head]

Albion v Manchester City

PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Saturday 11th July 2020
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Referee: Graham Scott
Assistants: Edward Smart, Derek Eaton
Fourth Official: James Linington
Reserve Assistant Referee: Paul Kelly
VAR: Peter Bankes
Additional VAR: Stephen Child
​

TEAM NEWS

Brighton head coach Graham Potter has a fully-fit squad to pick from apart from long-term injury victim Jose Izquierdo, who is recovering from a knee injury.

Steven Alzate has not featured since the restart because of a groin problem, but could make his return.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is likely to rotate his squad and make changes to the side that beat Newcastle.

Sergio Aguero continues his rehabilitation after knee surgery.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• 
  [*=left]Brighton have lost all five of their Premier League matches with Manchester City, conceding 15 goals and scoring just twice.
  [*=left]The Seagulls 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.
  [*=left]City are unbeaten in their last eight top-flight games against Brighton, a sequence dating back to October 1981.

Albion

• 
  [*=left]Brighton have only won two of their 14 Premier League games in 2020, the joint fewest in the top flight, although both of these victories have come since the restart.
  [*=left]The Seagulls have lost three of their last four home league games, which is as many as they had in their previous 13 at the Amex Stadium.
  [*=left]They need four points to match their highest Premier League points tally of 40, set in 2017-18. They have already scored more goals than they had in their previous two seasons in the division.
  [*=left]They are unbeaten in all nine Premier League matches Neal Maupay has scored in.

Manchester City

• 
  [*=left]Manchester City have lost their last three away matches in the top flight - they last suffered four defeats in a row on the road between March and April 2015.
  [*=left]Its the first time Pep Guardiola has lost three successive top flight away fixtures as a manager.
  [*=left]Man City have scored just three goals in their last six league away games. In those matches they have had 99 shots (30 on target), with an expected goals total of nearly 13.
  [*=left]Pep Guardiola's side have had 654 shots in the top flight this season, at least 87 more than any other side. They are averaging 19.2 shots-per-game in the Premier League this term, the most by a side since Liverpool (19.4 per game) in 2012-13.
  [*=left]Five City players have scored 10 or more league goals this season - the last top-flight side to achieve this were Everton in 1984-85.
  [*=left]Their passing accuracy against Newcastle of 93.7% (787 of 840 passes) is the highest in the Premier League since such data began to be recorded in 2003-04.

 

[Dick Head]

Sorry I'm late.

 

[Boroseagull]

Sorry I'm late.

I was getting worried!

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh FFS Bankes and Child on VAR, we're sure to get hammered, after the last time.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

2-1

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

 

[Change at Barnham]

I'm fairly relaxed about this game as I've already resigned myself to a routine defeat against an outstanding City side who can rip apart anyone on their day.

Anything less than a 3-0 defeat will be acceptable in my eyes. We can then move on and see what progress we've made by assessing our form against three sides with squads of similar quality to ourselves.

The season will be finished in two weeks time. We can then all have a lay down and reflect on a roller coaster season that very much looks like we're better off than we were a year ago.

 

[Beach Hut]

So excited (hate that horrible Citeh away kit)

 

[WATFORD zero]

Sorry I'm late.

If we miss out on an easy 3 points today, it's going to be entirely down to you

 

[sams dad]

If we miss out on an easy 3 points today, it's going to be entirely down to you

No, no , no. The blame will lay at Crodonilson’s feet, as once again he has failed to start a “ Manchester City’s most famous supporter” thread.

 

[Mackenzie]

These are a good team.

were loose

 

[Trelford Mills Guide Dog]

Apologies if ‘fixtures‘, but it looks like the games is available ‘free’ to those who have access to Sky channel 159, ‘Pick’.

 

[sparkie]

Apologies if ‘fixtures‘, but it looks like the games is available ‘free’ to those who have access to Sky channel 159, ‘Pick’.

And on Sky One.

 

[dingodan]

Apologies if ‘fixtures‘, but it looks like the games is available ‘free’ to those who have access to Sky channel 159, ‘Pick’.

For those who don't have access to SkyTV, Freeview channel 11.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Apologies if ‘fixtures‘, but it looks like the games is available ‘free’ to those who have access to Sky channel 159, ‘Pick’.

That’s a very late change to the schedule, not been announced anywhere. The free games this weekend were originally scheduled to be Wolves v Everton and Tinpot v Leicester

 

[AmexRuislip]

Kevin De Bruyne = Pundit fvckwittery + tissues

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I KNOW that the stats aren't supposed to lie, but the PL table just seems like an ABBERATION to me. Liverpool 20+ points better than Man City? If I was Potter, I know which side I'd fear most. And it ain't Liverpool

 

[Thompson720]

I was getting worried!

I thought my app was on the fritz! Thank you [MENTION=15297]Dick Head[/MENTION] !

 

[Swansman]

City looks really dirty, even against Southampton where they lost.

Kind of impossible to set up against as well. If you try to challenge them, they will **** you over with the spaces you give them. If you defend, they **** you over with their tidy passing around the penalty area.

Probably starting with both Maupay and Connolly to make sure they cant put too many players in attack + to get a random chance of a combination leading to a goal or two.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

I can’t expect anything from this one , so I feel relaxed about it. Mind you they have lost a couple of times since the restart so they are no longer invincible.
We can hope ..... but no bother if we lose.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Wheel winne!