Manchester City vs Brighton Final MATCH LIVE Football Score 20 Apr 2022

Still fighting for success on two fronts this season, Manchester City play host to Brighton & Hove Albion in Wednesday’s Premier League battle at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s side missed out on a place in the FA Cup final with a 3-2 loss to Liverpool at Wembley last time out, while the Seagulls ran out 1-0 winners over Tottenham Hotspur. A raft of changes on the Man City side for their FA Cup semi-final was somewhat inevitable given their fiery Champions League encounter with Atletico Madrid and fresh injuries to key players, but one controversial call from Pep Guardiola backfired more than the rest at Wembley Stadium.

It’s hardly overstating it to say that every game for City is now a must-win. They lead Liverpool by one point with seven games to play, but with the Reds taking on Manchester United tomorrow, they could be behind by the time they take to the field against Brighton. Their opponents aren’t likely to roll over and hand them the three points, either: they come into this game off the back of successive wins over the Champions League-place-chasing Arsenal and Tottenham, so they know all about beating teams higher up the table. Both sides will be missing key players for this match. Man City defender Kyle Walker is definitely out, and both Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan remain doubts.

Zack Steffen was given the nod in goal over Ederson, whose nifty footwork came to the fore in the league meeting with the Reds, but the American shot-stopper was not so skilled in a similar scenario, allowing Sadio Mane to nip in and score the second of Liverpool’s three goals in the first half. Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva’s responses were ultimately in vain for Man City, who could still complete a remarkable Premier League and Champions League double in the weeks that remain, and the former title is firmly in their own hands heading into the final stretch.

Brighton are out to continue their habit of upsetting the Premier League’s top teams in their own backyard with a trip to leaders Manchester City on Wednesday. Leandro Trossard’s late winner at Tottenham on Saturday added to the Seagulls run of at least avoiding defeat away to five of the league’s top seven clubs this season – a tally they can add to at the Etihad this week. City come into the game knowing they have no margin for error over Liverpool, who play a day earlier at home to Manchester United. The recent draw between the title rivals was followed by a thrilling 3-2 win for Jurgen Klopp’s team in the FA Cup semi-final, leaving Pep Guardiola with only the domestic title and Champions League to chase.

At the time of writing, the reigning champions still hold a one-point lead over Liverpool at the summit, but Jurgen Klopp’s side could temporarily usurp Man City with victory over Manchester United on Tuesday night before the Citizens seek to restore order 24 hours later. Defeat to the Reds at Wembley means that City have now gone three games without a win in all competitions, but they are the division’s top goalscorers at home with 42 strikes this term and will prove to be a true test of Brighton’s new-found mettle. Clearly not satisfied with just the one win in North London, Brighton – who travelled to the capital on the back of a deserved win over Arsenal – weathered the Tottenham storm on Saturday lunchtime before their efforts to push for a winner in the dying embers of the clash were rewarded.

With 90 minutes on the clock, Leandro Trossard made lightning strike twice in North London with a sublime fake shot and outside-of-the-boot finish past Hugo Lloris to hand Brighton the unlikeliest of back-to-back victories, and Graham Potter’s side are certainly intent on ending the season on a high note. Suffering six defeats from seven before meeting Arsenal and Spurs did not deplete the morale in Potter’s ranks, and his side are firmly in contention for a top-half finish as they sit smack-bang in the middle of the table in 10th place – level on points with ninth-placed Leicester City having played two games more.

Brighton had only managed one goal in 630 minutes of Premier League football before their trip to the Emirates, but they travel to the Etihad Stadium having suffered a mere three league defeats on the road all-season long – only Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool have fared better in that regard. However, not since the days of Chris Hughton in 2018 have Brighton managed to win three on the bounce in the Premier League, and Man City have come up trumps in eight of their nine meetings with the Seagulls in the competition, including a 4-1 success at the Amex back in October.

City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne was fit enough to make the bench at Wembley, but Kyle Walker missed out with the twisted ankle he sustained at the Wanda Metropolitano and remains doubtful for the visit of the Seagulls. Cole Palmer’s ankle problem has not let up just yet either, but the champions did not pick up any fresh concerns at Wembley, and Guardiola is sure to rejig his side after their fruitless efforts in the capital. Ederson, Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte can all expect recalls in the backline, while the likes of Rodri, Riyad Mahrez and De Bruyne – if he is fit enough – are all refreshed and raring to go from the off.

As for Brighton, Tariq Lamptey had to be taken off with an apparent injury in the win over Spurs but is not reported to be nursing anything serious, while Jakub Moder and Shane Duffy remain out of contention. Steven Alzate has come down with an illness and may be forced to miss this encounter as well, but Potter is otherwise well-stocked and could send out the same XI once again, with Enock Mwepu’s half-time substitution against Tottenham a tactical change after he was arguably fortunate to escape a sending off. Another goal for Trossard would earn the Belgian a place in the Brighton history books, as no Seagulls player has ever scored in three consecutive Premier League away games before.