Brighton v Manchester City Tips: Expect a goal frenzy at the Amex Stadium

Manchester City wrapped up the Premier League title without kicking a ball at the weekend, so the importance of their away fixture against Brighton has suddenly decreased somewhat.

Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday sent the prize to the Etihad Stadium for a fifth time in the last six years. City have now won three titles on the bounce, a feat only previously achieved by Huddersfield Town, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. 

It was a heartbreaking way to end the season for Arsenal, who spent most of the campaign in top spot, but no-one would deny that City have been the best team in the country by a considerable margin this calendar year. 

It took Pep Guardiola’s side a while to hit top form, but they have played some sensational football in recent months and their 1-0 defeat of Chelsea on Sunday was their 12th consecutive top-flight victory. 

Now that the Premier League is done and dusted, City’s attention has turned to the FA Cup and the Champions League as they eye a possible treble. Guardiola shuffled his pack for the meeting with Chelsea and handed starts to fringe players and youngsters like Cole Palmer, Kalvin Phillips and Sergio Gomez. 

As a result, it is hard to predict what sort of side City will field on Wednesday. The best team will return either here or against Brentford on Sunday as Guardiola will want to ensure his first-choice players don’t lose any sharpness ahead of next month’s finals against Manchester United and Inter. 

This has been a brilliant campaign for Brighton & Hove Albion, too, as their 3-1 triumph over Southampton on Sunday means they will almost certainly be playing in the Europa League next season - they are three points ahead of Aston Villa and have a significantly better goal difference.

That is a fantastic achievement for a club that was in the Championship just six years ago. Don’t forget, Brighton lost their manager in the first half of the season and were then forced to sell one of their star players (Leandro Trossard) in the January transfer window. But thanks to smart management from top to bottom, the Seagulls’ ship was barely rocked.

There will be a celebratory mood at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday, and the fact the pressure is now off could encourage an especially entertaining game between two of the best teams to watch in the division. 

Brighton, who have averaged 2.71 goals per game in their last seven outings, will want to make a final statement in their last home assignment of the season. Manchester City, for their part, will be looking to improve on a run which has seen them score twice or more in five of their last seven away games in the Premier League.

Brighton v Manchester City Tips

Both teams to score and Over 2.5 goals @ 1.85