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HALF-TIME! Brighton 0-1 Man City<\/p>\n
So City hold onto their lead, and they deserve it. Since Haaland clicked into gear, after about 25 minutes, they have been much the better team. Brighton have found a few openings, but they will need to be far more precise in the final third.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+3 min<\/strong> Brighton could be level! Minteh races away down the right, skips past Ait-Nouri\u2019s high boot and gets his cross in, but it\u2019s behind the onrushing Welbeck. Minteh then goes down with a head injury, which happily seems to be nothing serious.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>News from elsewhere: VAR change at Anfield<\/p>\n A story from my colleague Andy Martin \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cMichael Salisbury has been stood down as VAR official for today\u2019s Premier League<\/a> clash between Liverpool and Arsenal.<\/p>\n \u201cJohn Brooks will instead be in charge at Stockley Park after Salisbury\u2019s controversial involvement in an incident during Saturday\u2019s game between Chelsea and Fulham at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n \u201cHe intervened to ask match referee Rob Jones to go to the pitchside monitor after Fulham midfielder Josh King had scored 21 minutes into the game, and ultimately the goal was chalked off when team-mate Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to have stepped on Trevoh Chalobah during the build-up despite minimal contact.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is understood the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has acknowledged that the decision was an error and the incident did not meet the high bar for intervention as a clear and obvious error, and that referees\u2019 boss Howard Webb has been in touch with Fulham.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min<\/strong> There will be three more minutes. The delay early on, for Gomez\u2019s injury, was about that long.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43 min<\/strong> Near-calamity! Verbruggen, receiving a poor back pass, is inches away from being hunted down by Haaland. He just gets the ball away in time, but only to another black shirt. Ait-Nouri ends up on the byline, whipping in a fine low cross that doesn\u2019t quite find a team-mate.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 min<\/strong> As things stand, City are fifth, level with Liverpool on points (six) and goal difference (+3), but behind them on goals scored (five against seven). And poor old Brighton are still 18th.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min<\/strong> City threaten again as Minteh loses the ball in their half. Marmoush almost gets away but he stays in the middle, where Brighton have about five players, when the ball surely needed to go wide.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37 min<\/strong> This is Haaland\u2019s 100th Premier League<\/a> game, and that\u2019s his 88th goal \u2013 a record. Against Brighton, he has six in six.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The goal was assisted by Marmoush but created by Bobb \u2013 and an error or two.<\/strong> Bobb, at inside-right, found Marmoush, at inside-left. He seemed to lose the ball, the defenders had a chance to poke it away, but they fluffed it, allowing Marmoush to have another go and play the shortest of through balls. Haaland raced onto it and passed into the corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Brighton 0-1 Man City (Haaland 33)<\/p>\n He\u2019s found those shooting boots!<\/p>\n Erling Haaland of Manchester City scores his team’s first goal. Photograph: Mike Hewitt\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.39 EDT<\/p>\n 31 min<\/strong> Right on cue, Brighton have a glimmer in the City box. A cross from the left finds Minteh in acres near the penalty spot, and he\u2019s so surprised that he\u2019s not sure what to do about it. Instead of taking a shot, he plays a dinky pass to nobody.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min<\/strong> There\u2019s a pause as Rodri gets a blow to the head, which doesn\u2019t look too serious. This game has begun to go as you might have expected: City having two-thirds of the ball and most of the attempts on goal (5\/6), but Brighton threatening on the break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 28 min<\/strong> City win their first corner. It\u2019s a good one, swung in by Reijnders, and well headed away by Van Hecke.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26 min<\/strong> Save! Verbruggen from Haaland, whose first header of the day is a lot sharper than his two shots so far. Bernardo Silva sends him a gorgeous backspun cross and Haaland meets it well, but Verbruggen stands tall.<\/p>\n An urgent question has come in about H\u00fcrzeler. \u201cWhy,\u201d asks Rob, \u201cis he dressed like Dr No??\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 25 min<\/strong> Half-chance for Haaland! Left foot, again, and this time he screws the ball wide. Has he left his shooting boots at home?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 min<\/strong> Another fine break from Brighton, launched by a neat interception from De Cuyper at left-back. A few neat passes and Welbeck is spraying the ball to the right wing, where Minteh picks a less neat option, asking too much of the overlapping Veltman.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.23 EDT<\/p>\n 20 min<\/strong> Trafford celebrates his save by sending a long ball to Marmoush, who can\u2019t quite latch onto it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19 min<\/strong> Save! Brighton stage a lovely counter as Welbeck pokes the ball through to Mitoma. He shakes off a defender and hits a decent shot, which Trafford does well to push round the post.<\/p>\n Brighton’s Japanese midfielder Kaoru Mitoma (R) has a shot saved. Photograph: Justin Tallis\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.32 EDT<\/p>\n 17 min<\/strong> The ball reaches Trafford in the sweeper-keeper zone. He thinks about going long again, then changes his mind and passes to Rodri, who is hovering like a helicopter parent.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15 min<\/strong> The first yellow card goes to Jan Paul van Hecke, who first gives Haaland a shove, then, as if instantly fired up, hurls himself into a crowd of players.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 14 min<\/strong> Both teams have been sloppy, by their high standards of stewardship. And only Haaland has had a sniff of a chance.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 13 min<\/strong> Another ambitious ball from Mitima, another stretch too far for Minteh. This one was a cross, struck with the outside of the right boot, but overhit.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 11 min<\/strong> The first sign of a wobble at the back for City. Brighton press them, as you would after last weekend, and Trafford ends up resorting to a long ball, which he slices.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 9 min<\/strong> Chance! Missed by Erling Haaland, who goes clean through, gets a left-foot shot away \u2013 and sends it dribbling towards Verbruggen.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 min<\/strong> Brighton steal the ball in midfield and Mitoma hits an ambitious through ball for Minteh, who is quick but not quick enough to keep it in.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7 min<\/strong> Gomez is up and walking.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min<\/strong> The first embarrassment involved in playing out from the back comes from Lewis Dunk, who passes straight into touch. Brighton soon win the ball back through Welbeck, who tries to send Gomez away, only for a crunching tackle to come in from Reijnders. As Gomez stays down, Fabian H\u00fcrzeler tries to persuade the fourth official that the clash should be reviewed for reckless play. He doesn\u2019t succeed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 min<\/strong> City get busy down their left flank with Ait-Nouri and Marmoush playing tiki-taka. Then they make their way over to the right where Bobb and Nunes follow suit.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1 min<\/strong> City kick off and go back to Trafford, who jinks past thre onrushing Gomez \u2026 but then hoofs the ball to Bart Verbruggen.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Fun fact!<\/strong> Danny Welbeck is facing Man City for the 22nd time today and looking for his first goal. Maybe he just needs to pretend they\u2019re Man United.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Back at the Amex, the teams stroll out onto the field.<\/strong> Brighton is bright and sunny.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The first big game of the day has finished \u2026 goalless.<\/strong> Here\u2019s Daniel Harris.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The first email of the day comes from Eric Peterson, who is more interested in the other 2pm game.<\/strong> \u201cThe fixture schedule for today works out nicely,\u201d he reckons. \u201cThe most compelling thing about the other game being played at this time has nothing to do with what happens during it. The prospect for postgame chaos around whichever team loses Nottingham Forest v West Ham is more compelling, be it Evangelos Marinakis venting at Nuno Espirito Santo venting at Edu, or West Ham\u2019s travelling support venting at their team. We can watch this one, enjoy it, and then switch streams for real entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Rodri ‘maybe not for 90’<\/p>\n Pep Guardiola has been talking to Sky. The first question, naturally, is about Rodri. \u201cHe\u2019s vital,\u201d Pep murmurs, \u201ceverybody knows that\u2026 He played some minutes against Spurs [about 20, including added time], so maybe not for 90 [today].\u201d<\/p>\n The second question is about goalies. Asked if he now has two No 1s, Pep says it\u2019s more a case of giving Trafford the first part of the season, up to the international break that starts tonight. \u201cAnd then we\u2019ll see.\u201d Sounds as if Ederson will be back for the Manchester derby in a fortnight\u2019s time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Teams in full<\/p>\n Brighton <\/strong>(probable 4-2-3-1) Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Baleba, Hinshelwood; Minteh, Gomez, Mitoma; Welbeck. Manchester City<\/strong> (possible 4-1-4-1) Trafford; Nunes, Stones, Khusanov, Ait-Nouri; Rodri; Silva, Bobb, Reijnders, Marmoush; Haaland. Referee<\/strong> Darren England. VAR<\/strong> Paul Tierney.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Teams in brief: Rodri starts, Trafford retained<\/p>\n Rodri, who came on as a sub last weekend, makes his first start for nearly a year. That will be music to the ears of City fans, or anyone who admires a bit of midfield mastery.<\/p>\n Pep Guardiola makes three more changes from the XI beaten by Spurs, bringing in Matheus Nunes and Abdukodir Khusanov at the back, plus the captain, Bernardo Silva, in midfield. Rico Lewis and Ruben Dias drop to the bench, while Rayan Cherki is injured. In goal, the story is there isn\u2019t a change: James Trafford retains Pep\u2019s faith after his jitters against Spurs, so Ederson has to bide his time on the bench.<\/p>\n For Brighton, Fabian H\u00fcrzeler makes three changes from the XI that lost to Everton. Joel Veltman replaces Mats Wieffer at right-back, and there are two changes in midfield, with Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez coming in for Yasin Ayari and Matt O\u2019Riley.<\/p>\n
Subs: Steele, Coppola, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Gruda, Milner, Ayari, O\u2019Riley, Rutter.<\/p>\n
Subs: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gonzalez, Gundogan, O\u2019Reilly, Doku.<\/p>\n