Our 3️⃣ points as Man City hit Brighton for four | OneFootball

Manchester City showed their class in the first half as they beat a spirited Brighton 4-1 at the Amex on Saturday evening.

Goals from Ilkay Gündoğan, Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez were enough to see Pep Guardiola’s side come away from the south coast with all three points.

Half hour heroes

This was third versus fourth heading into kick off but by full time, the chasm between these two sides was clear for all to see.

Thirty minutes was all Manchester City needed to do damage on Saturday evening, half an hour of brilliant, incisive football that only Pep Guardiola’s team can play right now.

It was sumptuous first half display with Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva standing out from the rest.

All the talk over the summer was about whether City would sign Harry Kane. All the talk since the summer has been about whether City will rue not signing Harry Kane.

On this evidence, and the evidence of the season so far, nothing could be further from the truth.

Foden has been magnificent in that number nine role, running more than any of his team mates over 90 minutes.

Grealish meanwhile, was always a danger on the break and always looking to beat his man while Berrnado played like his 2018/19 version.

There aren’t many better sides in Europe right now.

What a year

It’s been quite the 10 and a bit months for Ilkay Gündoğan.

The Germany international was always a brilliant, more defensive-minded midfielder, but in 2021 has taken his game to the next level.

Goals were always something relatively lacking for the 30-year-old but since January, Gündoğan has become a net-finding tour de force.

His 13th minute strike here was a 13th in 2021, only behind Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah in the calendar year.

Now, everyone knows that calendar year statistics are a nonsense that literally count for nothing but this one is just a small reminder that Gündoğan has been able to take last season’s form into this.

And that will be invaluable for Guardiola’s men in the coming months.

Playing into their hands

As a paid-up member of the Graham Potter Fan Club, I am usually willing to defend the Brighton manager in any way possible.

Unfortunately today is not one of those days.

The south coast club’s progressive style of play has earned them plenty of admirers over the past couple of seasons, and this year, with goals finally coming, it’s taken them up the table too.

But their performance today – against, on form, a side in the top two in Europe – was naive in the extreme.

If you insist on playing a high line and always passing out from the back, you have to be perfect.

There is no room for manoeuvre when Manchester City are in town and here at the Amex, Brighton were far from perfect.

Three goals conceded in the opening 30 minutes told the story and clipped the Seagulls wings in a major way.

Admittedly things did improve in the second half, with Brighton having much more of the ball and passing their way through City’s press.

But by then the damage had been done and the three points were on their way to the north west.