Ederson To Start, Trafford On The Bench | 4-3-2-1 Manchester City Predicted Lineup Vs Brighton | OneFootball

Manchester City will lock horns with Brighton and Hove Albion at the American Express Community Stadium this Sunday afternoon as they look to secure a positive result on the road in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s men suffered a poor 2-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur recently, so they would be eager to bounce back by securing all three points versus the Seagulls this weekend.

Guardiola will set his men up in a 4-3-2-1 formation and is expected to name a strong first XI for this game. Ederson could play from the start of this clash, while James Trafford makes way for him and drops to the bench.

4-3-2-1 Manchester City Predicted Lineup To Face Brighton

Defence

Ederson will play in between the sticks for Man City as he looks to keep a clean sheet away from home. Ruben Dias will resume his partnership with John Stones at the centre of the Man City backline as they look to keep things tidy defensively during the game.

Matheus Nunes will get a chance to impress as the right-back while Rayan Ait-Nouri, who is a slight concern ahead of this game, hopes to prove his value as the left-back. Guardiola will ask both of them to perform their defensive duties well before offering some decent support to their teammates up top.

Nathan Ake will be named on the bench as he provides cover for the defensive positions.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 23: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City shouts at his team during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Midfield

Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders will make up Man City‘s midfield as they look to establish their dominance over the opposition at the centre of the park.

Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki will hope to impress as Guardiola’s primary attacking midfielders. They would both be given the creative workload for Man City in the final third.

Rodri and Phil Foden will have to be content with a place on the bench as they wait for their chance to shine in the second 45 minutes if Guardiola opts to call upon their services.

Attack

Erling Haaland will spearhead Guardiola’s attack once again up top. The Norwegian talent failed to score against Spurs, so this game would be a good chance for him to get his name on the scoresheet.