Walker and Gundogan start in two changes for Brighton clash | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has made two changes for today’s clash at Brighton.

Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan come into the starting XI while Manuel Akanji and Bernardo Silva drop to the bench.

Walker takes the captain’s armband from Bernardo for this 17:30 (UK) encounter on the south coast.

Classy young centre-half Jahmai Simpson-Pusey keeps his place in the side after making his first senior start in our last game against Sporting CP.

City have struggled with injuries of late and there’s no let-up this afternoon.

John Stones, Ruben Dias, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish all miss out on the squad for this Amex Stadium encounter.

Rodrigo and Oscar Bobb also remain sidelined as they continue their recovery and rehabilitation from long-term injuries.

WATCH: City Memorable Moments: Brighton away

TEAM NEWS

CITY XI: Ederson, Lewis, Walker (C), Simpson-Pusey, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan, Savinho, Foden, Nunes, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Ake, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Akanji, Wright, O'Reilly, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand

TACTICS

Ederson starts in goal and will be protected by a back four of Rico Lewis, Kyle Walker, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Josko Gvardiol.

Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic will aim to dominate the battle ground of midfield with Phil Foden offering more attacking impetus to the champions.

Up top, Savinho, Matheus Nunes and Erling Haaland will aim to do damage to the Brighton backline.

PEP’S BIG BELIEF

Pep Guardiola was bullish in his pre-match press duties as he spoke about City’s run of form over the past three games.

It’s fair to say that a trio of defeats to Tottenham, Bournemouth and Sporting CP has captured the attention of those outside the CFA.

But, when quizzed about the losses, the manager stressed that they have come in three separate competitions and pointed out that his sky blues are second in the Premier League and ‘have been better than 18 other teams’ so far this season.

He insisted he’d be far more concerned if the three successive defeats had all come in the Premier League or Champions League.

And in terms of the displays, he was happy with the way his players competed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, accepted they deserved to lose to the Cherries and said they played good in Lisbon.

As he analysed our start to the campaign, he appeared more frustrated with the way his team had finished the game in the 3-2 victory over Fulham.

To win any major trophies in any sport, you need to win but the manager stays focused on performances and said ahead of this Seagulls clash that ‘the way we play will save us and dictate our future’.

Judging by his eight years in charge to date, you’d be foolish to argue with that.

FODEN TIME TO SHINE?

Phil Foden could be our key man this afternoon against Brighton judging by his numbers against the Seagulls.

Foden has scored more Premier League goals against Brighton than he has against any other opponent.

He’s bagged eight goals in just seven starts, including a brace in the 4-0 victory at the Amex Stadium as part of the run-in to winning our history-making fourth successive top-flight title.

The 24-year-old hasn’t yet hit the heights he climbed in that season when he won award after award following a sensational season, including PFA Players Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year.

The creative midfielder hasn’t scored in any of his seven Premier League games in this current campaign.

But, as he looks to kickstart his season and also earn the sky blues a first win in four games, maybe this is the ideal opponent for him.

WATCH: Josko Gvardiol: Weak foot goals

MATCH STATS

-City have taken 37 points from 42 available against Brighton in the Premier League (W12 D1 L1), with our only dropped points coming at the Amex Stadium (2-3 in May 2021, 1-1 in May 2023).

Brighton are unbeaten in their five Premier League home games so far this season (W2 D3) – only in 1982/83 have they had a longer run without a home defeat from the start of a top-flight campaign (7).

Brighton have conceded more Premier League goals against City than they have against any other opponent (40), failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their 14 such matches.

Brighton have dropped 10 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, only four fewer than they did in the whole of 2023/24. Indeed, both of their defeats this term have come after they’ve taken the lead (2-4 v Chelsea, 1-2 v Liverpool).

City’s 32-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end at Bournemouth last time out. Only in October 2023, December 2018 and December 2016 have we lost consecutive league games under Pep Guardiola.

City have conceded the first goal in five of their 10 Premier League games so far this season – it’s the first time we’ve done so in as many as half of their opening 10 games in a campaign since 2006/07 (also 5).

WATCH: Pep reiterates faith in his City squad

Only Leicester City (55%) have converted a higher share of their big chances in the Premier League this season than Brighton (46% - 12/26).

73% of City’s goals conceded in the Premier League this season have come in the first half of matches (8/11), the highest share in the division this term. Four of these have come in the opening 15 minutes – only Ipswich and West Ham (5) have conceded more, while it’s the highest proportion for any side (36%).

Brighton’s Danny Welbeck has either scored (3) or assisted (1) a goal in each of his last four Premier League games – he’s never registered a goal involvement in five consecutive matches in the competition before.