Manchester City will look to return to winning ways as they take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad this Saturday. The international break is over and Premier League fans will heave a huge sigh of relief and welcome the high-octane action of the English top flight back with open arms this weekend.
Manchester City's clash with Brighton is one of the most enticing fixtures lined up for gameweek 9 of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.
Reigning champions City had hit a snag in the weeks leading up to the latest international break. A straight red card to Rodri in their 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest altered the fortunes considerably in the games that followed.
City lost all three domestic games that Rodri missed, the first of which was an EFL Cup third-round encounter with Newcastle United. They subsequently fell to a 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux before getting beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in their latest outing.The back-to-back losses have caused City to drop to third in the Premier League table. But now that Rodri is back after his suspension, they'll be looking to make a statement this Saturday.
But the Seagulls will be no pushovers. Up until a 6-1 humiliation at Villa Park on September 30, which pretty much came out of nowhere, Brighton had looked sturdy.However, they are currently on a four-game winless streak in all competitions although it's worth noting that their latest outing ended in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
After a roaring start to the season, Roberto De Zerbi's men have suffered a dip in form over the last several weeks.
The Seagulls are excellent in possession but their defensive vulnerabilities continue to be a major cause for concern.