Manchester City can close the gap on table-toppers Arsenal with a win over Brighton at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. And a win is exactly what the layers expect from a Pep Guardiola side smarting from their defeat at Anfield last weekend.
City are 2/9 with Betfred to pick up all three points, while the Seagulls are 14/1 to cause the shock. It's 6/1 about a draw.
The Premier League champions were building up a major head of steam, prior to last week but they stumbled, unexpectedly so in Copenhagen and then at Anfield, where City's record is not great. It's unlikley that there will be any lasting hangover from that but it does mean that City have fallen four points behind Arsenal, who just keep on winning.
However, City should be able to bounce back with three points against a telented but often frustrating Brighton side that have now failed to score in three successive games since their 3-3 draw at Liverpool. In those games they have racked up 53 efforts on goal and their seemingly never ending plight of being able to convert chances on a regular basis goes on.
City have been rampant at the Etihad this season, averaging almost five goals per game thanks to a fairly kind run of home fixtures but Brighton are not a side easily broken down, indeed their cumulative xGA (Expected Goals Against) total of 11.0 is the third strongest in the division (below City and Arsenal).
New manager Roberto De Zerbi, a good friend of Pep Guardiola, hasn't changed a great deal since he took over from Graham Potter and his side continue to show a consistently high level of process at both ends of the pitch, despite not always getting the resuls they deserve, and that should ensure that they are not on the receiving end of hammering this weekend.
Man City vs Brighton predictions
Brighton haven't managed a single goal in any of their last five visits to the Etihad but they've kept the scoreline respectable on the more often that not, and that looks the best angle into this contest.
City are too short to back win only but if we combine a home win with Under 3.5 Goals then we get an appealing 23/20 wager with Betfred.
Man City vs Brighton prediction: Man City and Under 3.5 Goals - 23/20
Man City vs Brighton odds with Betfred
- Man City - 2/9
- Draw - 6/1
- Brighton - 14/1
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