Follow live coverage as Manchester City face Brighton & Hove Albion today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Manchester City FC 2 - 2 Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:48Hurzeler introduces more subs, hoping to inspire a late winner. First, Mitoma makes way for Adingra.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:48MISS! Baleba spurns a golden goalscoring chance! At the end of a quick counter, he races through the centre to meet Joao Pedro's left-wing cross, which slips through the legs of Dias, but then blasts the ball high over the crossbar. What a costly lack of composure!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:48Substitution Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba Mats Henrik Berne Wieffer
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:48Substitution Omar Khaled Mohamed Abd Elsala Marmoush Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:48Soon after surviving a big scare at the other end, Brighton raid forward. A promising attack ends with Hinshelwood firing into the side-netting from a tight angle on the right.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:46OFF THE POST! Gonzalez hits the woodwork from close range! He rises up to meet Gundogan's inswinging corner, but his downward header at the back post rattles the upright! He surely should've scored!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:48Substitution Yankuba Minteh Moat Brajan Gruda
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:46Doku wriggles away from Minteh and then Baleba on the left wing, but his cutback from the left byline is then snuffed out by the omnipresent Van Hecke. It's a corner-kick for Man City.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:40Again drawn to the ball like a magnet inside his own box, all-action Van Hecke does enough to make life difficult for Haaland, who can only divert his headed effort harmlessly up into the air.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:38Brighton have never won an away match against Manchester City, but if they can now snatch a late winner they'd post five straight wins in the English top tier for the very first time in their history. It's up for grabs as things stand.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:38Substitution Georginio Lucius Rutter Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:38Substitution Diego Alexander Gómez Amarilla Yasin Abbas Ayari
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:38Substitution Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva Philip Walter Foden
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:38After a long conference between Bernardo Silva and Gundogan, a free-kick high up on the right flank is taken by the latter. He rolls the ball back for Marmoush to strike, but the Egyptian forward mishits his shot and the set-piece situation comes to nothing.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:33Gvardiol is back on the pitch as Man City's search for a third goal continues. Brighton are keeping a compact shape, forcing the hosts out towards either flank - despite conceding twice, they've defended pretty well today.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:33RED CARD CHECK! When Rutter catches Gvardiol with his studs, only a foul is initially awarded. However, his mistimed challenge leaves the Croatian defender in some pain and the VAR takes another look to check if it's worthy of a red card. Within seconds, the referee's original decision is confirmed.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:33SAVE! A brilliant diagonal ball into the area by Baleba picks out Mitoma's run inside from the left. The latter hits his shot firmly towards the near post, but Ortega is well placed to keep it out - that's a crucial stop by City's second-choice 'keeper.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:28Marmoush seeks his second goal, as he gets clear of his marker and is left one-on-one with Verbruggen. The goalkeeper dives down and makes a sharp save, though the City striker is then flagged for offside in any case.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:25An influential presence today, Baleba feeds Minteh on the right, and the latter then sees his shot blocked. City eventually clear their lines before setting off on a quick counter-attack.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:24Yellow Card Jérémy Baffour Doku
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:21A disappointing day for Savinho ends in substitution, as Bernardo Silva replaces the Brazilian winger before an hour has been played.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:20The home side are having more of the ball now, with 59% of possession since the restart. Yet, Brighton seem well set to keep them at arm's length. This game is fascinatingly poised as we approach the hour mark.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:19City have now conceded 40 Premier League goals this season, already their most in any campaign under Pep Guardiola - previously 39, back in 2016-17.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:17Brighton's equaliser has clearly increased the anxiety levels inside the stadium, and Gomez opens up the hosts' defence once again. His low cross flashes along the six-yard box, but Minteh can't quite reach it at the back post - Gvardiol did well to put him off.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:15An awful pass infield by Savinho gifts Brighton the ball again, and the Seagulls swoop. Finding space on the edge of the box, Baleba shoots for the bottom corner, but his strike zips well wide of the left-hand post.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:09Assist Adam Harry Webster
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:08Goal Jack Luca Hinshelwood
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:07Manchester City kick off, and we are back under way at the Etihad!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
16:01Man City have now scored 32 first-half goals in 29 games - more than any other team in the Premier League this season - but can they defy their well-documented defensive woes and hang on to this advantage? Brighton had a good chance to level it up at 2-2 when another error let in Joao Pedro - though his finish was sent wide - and the Seagulls will be pressing City's back line with intent after half-time. Fabian Hurzeler has seen his team cause plenty of problems so far, and confidence should still be sky-high following recent results.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:57An entertaining first half concludes with Manchester City leading Brighton 2-1 at the Etihad, where both sides have typically committed to attack. City struck first through Haaland's coolly converted penalty, after Webster fouled Marmoush in the box, but Brighton bit back when Estupinan scored from a 20-yard free-kick. With half-time approaching, the hosts then regain the lead, as Marmoush picked out the bottom corner. City also lead the xG, with 1.39 to Brighton's 1.05, but it's been a close-fought contest and more goals should be expected after the break.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:53HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 BRIGHTON
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:53Doku twice fails to pick out the right option on the left. First, he hits Gundogan with a low throughball; then, the Belgian winger dallies and allows Baleba to steal the ball. That's that for the first half.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:50A minimum of four stoppage-time minutes are signalled as Van Hecke is helped over to the touchline and the game resumes. Soon after, the Brighton defender is cleared to continue - he'll try to nurse his injury through to half-time.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:49The frantic first-half action is paused, as Van Hecke is left down on the turf with what looks like a hamstring injury. If that is the case, he'll struggle to carry on.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:49JUST WIDE! An awful defensive mix-up allows Joao Pedro to steal the ball deep in City territory, and the Brazilian striker tees up a shot. He catches it well under pressure, but his finish zips narrowly wide of the right-hand post! That's a real let-off for the hosts!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:46Mitoma overhits his low throughball into the box for Gomez, so Ortega can come out and claim possession back for Manchester City. The home side will now be keen to keep hold of this lead until half-time, but Brighton still look dangerous.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:42Amid a scrappy spell of play on the edge of Brighton's box, a combination of Lewis and Haaland sets up Gundogan to shoot at goal. However, he scuffs his shot well wide of the left-hand post.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:42Goal Omar Khaled Mohamed Abd Elsala Marmoush
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:40CLOSE! After Webster nods Estupinan's corner back across the box, causing a moment panic in the hosts' defence, City only partly clear their lines. The ball eventually falls to Minteh around 20 yards from goal, and he lashes a powerful effort wide of the left-hand post! Brighton continue to pose a real threat.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:37Marmoush and Savinho exchange passes on the right, with the latter ending up unmarked in the Brighton box. A slight hesitation allows Van Hecke to race back and intervene, as the Brazilian fires a wayward attempt well wide of the left-hand post.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:36The scoreline may be all square again, but Man City are still favourites to prevail, according to Opta's live win predictor. The hosts have a 48% chance of victory as things stand - double that of Brighton's 24%.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:32Meeting Gundogan's cross from the left with a first-time volley just inside Brighton's area, Haaland mistimes his finish and sends it flying high over the crossbar.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:32Estupinan slings over a corner-kick from the right, but Van Hecke's attempt to meet it with a header at the back post is thwarted by his own team-mate, Joao Pedro, who fails to make clean contact on the ball.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:29Ortega races off his line to clear the danger when Joao Pedro tries to release Mitoma through the middle, as City commit players forward in attack. Brighton look ever more confident, while a now familiar feeling of doubt may be entering the City team's minds.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:26Yellow Card Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:22When Marmoush plays in Haaland just outside the box, it seems that the latter is ready to strike. However, Gomez arrives on the scene to steal possession away, and the ball runs safely back towards Verbruggen - that's alert defending from the Brighton midfielder.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:23Goal Pervis Josué Estupiñán Tenorio
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:20While they are yet to produce much of a response to Haaland's opener, both of Brighton’s previous Premier League victories against Manchester City have been from behind. In fact, only Manchester United (three) have won more games against Pep Guardiola after trailing in England's top flight.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:19Yellow Card Kaoru Mitoma
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:17There's a more relaxed air to proceedings at the Etihad now, as the home side have a precious lead in this scrap for European qualification. City are having plenty of the ball, with Brighton struggling to find their familiar rhythm.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:15Yellow Card Sávio Moreira de Oliveira
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:12PENALTY FOR CITY! Having raced into the box at top speed, Marmoush checks back inside with the intent to shoot across goal. However, Webster flies in with a desperate last-ditch tackle that upends the Man City forward. Without hesitation, the referee points towards the spot!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:12Penalty Goal Erling Braut Haaland
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:11Yellow Card João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:10GOAL RULED OUT! Confirmed by a quick VAR check, Brighton have an early strike chalked off by the referee. Mitoma manages to bundle the ball over the line from close range, but he seems to have nodded it out of Ortega's grasp - City's second-choice goalkeeper just about had two gloves on the ball!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:08Savinho nods sheepishly after his delivery from the right wing sails straight out of play, with Haaland awaiting a cross into Brighton's area. Much has been made of the striker's lack of accurate service, and that trend continues.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:06Brighton have started positively, briefly threatening City's defence on the left-hand side through Mitoma. An attack ends when Joao Pedro bundles Lewis over, though.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:05Though they were beaten by today's opponents earlier this season, letting a one-goal lead slip to lose 2-1, Manchester City have never lost a home league match against Brighton. Having won the last 10 in a row, they will be intent on continuing that streak - defeat would see the Seagulls move above them in the table.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:02Brighton kick off, and we are under way in Manchester!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:01The teams are out on the pitch, and kick-off in this Premier League contest is now just moments away!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:56Brighton make only one change, as Gomez replaces Ayari in central midfield. Joao Pedro continues up front, having scored in his last three appearances. Meanwhile, Veltman, Dunk and O’Riley still feature on a long list of absentees.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:51The most notable of four Man City changes sees injured goalkeeper Ederson replaced in the squad by Carson, with Ortega coming into the first XI. Foden, Bernardo Silva and Matheus Nunes all drop to the bench; Marmoush, Gundogan and Lewis start instead.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:51SUBS: Carl Rushworth, Brajan Gruda, Simon Adingra, Eiran Cashin, Danny Welbeck, Yasin Ayari, Mats Wieffer, Jacob Slater, Joe Knight.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:51BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Bart Verbruggen; Jack Hinshelwood, Jan Paul van Hecke, Adam Webster, Pervis Estupinan; Carlos Baleba, Diego Gomez; Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter, Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:46SUBS: Scott Carson, Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Vitor Reis, Matheus Nunes, Phil Foden, James McAtee.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:46MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Stefan Ortega; Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Ilkay Gundogan, Nico Gonzalez; Savinho, Omar Marmoush, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:41Brighton arrive in Manchester enjoying a purple patch, recently recording four straight wins in the Premier League and a securing spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Last week, the Seagulls struck deep into second-half stoppage time to beat Fulham 2-1. They also defeated today’s hosts 2-1 at the Amex earlier this season - registering just their second win in the last 16 meetings with Man City. Now, the south coast side seek to complete a first league double over City at their 15th attempt.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:40Now down to fifth in the Premier League standings, Manchester City have alternated between winning and losing over their last five top-flight matches. The ailing champions most recently lost to top-four rivals Nottingham Forest, leaving them only one point ahead of Brighton amid a multi-club battle for European places. City have never lost at home to today’s visitors, but they have already been beaten three times at home in the league this season - as many defeats as Pep Guardiola’s side suffered at the Etihad over the past three campaigns combined.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
14:35Hello and welcome to live coverage of today's Premier League clash between Manchester City and Brighton at the Etihad Stadium!
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
13:00Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
