Rodri will begin his first Premier League in nearly a yr as Metropolis make 4 modifications for our conflict with Brighton at 14:00 (UK).
Matheus Nunes and Abdukodir Khusanov additionally are available for his or her first begins of the season whereas Bernardo Silva returns to take the armband.
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From the workforce that began our final sport in opposition to Tottenham, Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias and Nico all drop to the bench whereas Rayan Cherki shouldn’t be within the squad.
The return of present Ballon d’Or holder Rodri will see him begin his first sport because the 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September 2024, though he started the FIFA Membership World Cup victory over Juventus in the summertime.
Groups
BRIGHTON XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Minteh, Hinshelwood, Baleba, Welbeck, Mitoma, Gomez, De Cuyper, Veltman.
Subs: Steele, Gruda, Rutter, Milner, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Ayari, O’Riley, Coppola
CITY XI: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Stones, Ait-Nouri, Rodri, Bernardo (C), Bobb, Reijnders, Marmoush, Haaland.
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Subs: Ederson, Dias, Ake, Doku, Nico, Gundogan, Akanji, O’Reilly, Lewis.
HOW WE MIGHT LINE UP
The modifications that Pep Guardiola has made look like-for-like for opening video games in opposition to Wolves and Spurs.
That will see Nunes are available at right-back and Khusanov within the centre of defence alongside John Stones.
Rodri will reprise his position within the centre of midfield with Bernardo more likely to take Cherki’s place with Metropolis maintaining the identical front-three.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was solely 15 when Guardiola took cost of his first match as a supervisor and there’s no doubt he holds him excessive esteem.
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“Pep is possibly one of the best on this planet, so it’s all the time an honour to face him and, after all, a pleasure to beat his groups,” the German mentioned within the build-up to the sport.
Certainly he’s unbeaten in his two first clashes with the Metropolis boss, with a win on the Amex Stadium final season and a draw on the Etihad.
In Guardiola’s whole managerial league profession, the one managers he’s confronted 3 times with out beating is Roberto Di Matteo and former Barca team-mate Ronald Koeman.
And the Dutchman is the one one to take action within the Premier League, with two attracts and a defeat throughout his time at Everton.
Erling Haaland has damaged so many data throughout his Metropolis profession, it’s maybe a shock that at present will probably be when he reaches his one hundredth Premier League look.
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Earlier than attending to the century mark he already has two title winner’s medals, two Golden Boots and is already within the high 50 of all time goalscorers.
With 87 objectives and counting, he has already scored extra objectives than every other participant in his first 100 video games, even scoring greater than West Brom managed of their first 100 video games as a workforce.
The Norwegian averages a purpose a sport in opposition to Brighton with 5 in 5, however regardless of eight Premier League hat-tricks up to now, it was precisely 12 months since his final – in our 3-1 win at West Ham.
● Between 2017/18 and 2023/24, Brighton solely prevented defeat in two of 14 Premier League video games in opposition to Metropolis. However final season, they received 2-1 at residence and drew 2-2 on the Etihad.
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● Metropolis have received 19 out of 30 league matches in opposition to Brighton (63.3%) – among the many 46 groups they’ve confronted 25+ occasions, the one facet they’ve the next win ratio in opposition to is Swansea Metropolis (23 wins in 34 video games, 67.6%).
● Solely three groups have produced the next xG of their opening two Premier League video games this season than Brighton (3.91), though the Seagulls have only one purpose up to now, the most important adverse differential of any facet (-2.91).
● Since our defeat at Arsenal in February, Metropolis have conceded only one purpose in seven away Premier League matches, maintaining 5 clear sheets in a row. Solely 4 sides have stored six in a row, most just lately Arsenal in 2023/24 between February and April. Metropolis have by no means had six consecutive away league clear sheets of their historical past.
● Brighton are winless of their opening two Premier League video games this season and in solely one of many final 15 league seasons have they didn’t win their opening three video games, doing so in of their first Premier League marketing campaign in 2017/18.
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● Brighton rank second for profitable passes in their very own half of the pitch within the Premier League this season (503) however are fifteenth for accomplished passes within the opposition half (282).
● Phil Foden has scored six objectives in six away Premier League appearances in opposition to Brighton, with solely Mohamed Salah scoring as typically on the Amex as a visiting participant (additionally six). General, his eight objectives in opposition to the Seagulls are his most in opposition to an opponent within the competitors.
● Mats Wieffer has made 12 tackles within the Premier League this season for Brighton, essentially the most of any participant up to now this marketing campaign. Wieffer averages 5.3 tackles per 90 minutes for the Seagulls, comfortably essentially the most of any participant to play 500+ minutes within the competitors for them.