Manchester City broke a Premier League record by winning 21 consecutive home games, beating Brighton 2-1 with goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.
However, the standout player of the game was Jeremy Doku, whose impressive dribbling skills and pace tormented the returning James Milner so much that the 37-year-old had to be taken off at half-time.
The young Belgian’s run and pull-back led to Alvarez scoring the opener just eight minutes into the game.
After Haaland’s powerful finish from a Carlos Baleba error, Brighton’s hopes of a comeback seemed bleak.
However, substitute Ansu Fati managed to score a goal, giving the Seagulls a glimmer of hope.
Despite this, City held on comfortably and secured the win, even after Manuel Akanji received a second yellow card for pulling back Fati.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, praised Doku’s exceptional performance, saying “He’s so smart, he’s intuitive to get the ball and after he shows his quality.”
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Guardiola also acknowledged Brighton’s resilience in the second half and their ability to shut down City’s aggressive play.
Brighton’s manager, Roberto De Zerbi, admitted that the first half was a tough challenge and that Brighton struggled to compete with City’s pace.
However, he was proud of his team’s effort in the second half, where they displayed more courage and personality.
He emphasized the importance of improving and playing with more energy and personality, especially in the Europa League game against Ajax, where they will be missing several key players.
Manchester City will face Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday before their highly anticipated match against Manchester United on Super Sunday, October 29.
Brighton will play Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Fulham in the Premier League on October 29.
