Making way are Stefan Ortega Moreno, John Stones and Jack Grealish.
Pep Guardiola has resisted the temptation to make more changes to the side that beat Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final, but will have a strong bench to turn to should he feel the need.
line-ups
BRIGHTON XI: Steele, Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Barco; Gross, Baleba, Lallana, Moder, Joao Pedro, Welbeck.
Subs: Verbruggen, Julio, Webster, Enciso, Adingra, Fati, Buonanotte , Offiah, O’Mah
CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C), Akanji, Aké, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Kovačić, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Alvarez
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Dias, Stones, Grealish, Doku, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis
TACTICS
There are no great surprises in our starting XI to face Brighton.
Ederson resumes in goal, with Kyle Walker and Gvardiol as our right and left full-backs respectively.
Rodrigo will protect the back four as part of a midfield trio that includes Mateo Kovacic and Kevin De Bruyne.
Phil Foden and Bernardo are likely to play wide of Julian Alvarez.
WATCH: Stat Attack: Brighton v City
six and the city
On paper, it’s simple - six more Premier League wins and Cty will be crowned champions for a record fourth successive time.
With Arsenal seemingly over their mini-hiccup, it could well be the Blues need to win all six remaining matches to take the title.
That’s a lot of pressure with no room for slip-ups, but if any group of players can rise to that challenge, it is those in the sky blue colours of Manchester City.
We have been here and done that - and Guardiola‘s men will have to dig deep into those previous, tense campaign experiences to pull off what would arguably be our greatest league triumph yet.
Brighton are no pushovers and still harbour European qualification - with those factors in mind, the first of our six-game title run-in could yet prove the toughest.
Stats and facts
Brighton have lost 11 of their 13 Premier League games against City (W1 D1), though each of their four points earned against the Citizens in the competition have come across their last three home games against them (W1 D1 L1).
City have scored in all 13 of their Premier League games against Brighton – they’ve only faced Bournemouth (14) more often in the competition while scoring in every game.
City have won 17 of their 19 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games over the last three seasons, with the exceptions being a 1-1 draw at Brighton (May 2023) and a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa (December 2023).
Since beating Sheffield United 5-0 in February, Brighton have scored just four goals in their last seven Premier League games. The Seagulls are also winless in each of their last four (D2 L2).
City are unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League games (W13 D4), last having a longer run within the same season between November and March in 2020-21 (19).
Brighton’s 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in their last Premier League home game ended a 12-game unbeaten run for the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium in the league (W6 D6).
Brighton last lost consecutive home league games in November/December 2022 (including defeat to Arsenal), while they last lost consecutive home league games in the same month in March 2022.
Against no side has City’s Phil Foden scored more Premier League goals than he has against Brighton, netting six in his last seven such appearances against the Seagulls. His next goal will be his 50th in the Premier League.
Seven of Kevin De Bruyne’s nine Premier League goal involvements this season have come in his six away appearances (all 3 goals, plus 4 assists). He’s averaging a goal or assist every 43 minutes on the road in the league this term.
Both times City have failed to beat Brighton in the Premier League have come in a midweek game at the Amex Stadium – they lost 3-2 in May 2021 (Tuesday) and drew 1-1 in May 2023 (Wednesday), though had already been confirmed as champions both times.
Brighton have failed to score in all three of their midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games so far in 2024, drawing 0-0 with both West Ham and Brentford and losing 4-0 to Luton.
