Brighton 0-4 Manchester City: Phil Foden double closes gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to one point.
Phil Foden scored twice as Manchester City closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to one point with a flawless 4-0 victory at Brighton.
Arsenal had moved four clear of City with a midweek win over Chelsea while Liverpool slipped up at Merseyside rivals Everton – and Pep Guardiola
a’s side responded with a fine performance on the south coast to keep their title fate in their own hands.
City had the win wrapped up by half-time after Kevin De Bruyne planted a superb diving header high into the net before Foden struck twice with a deflected free-kick and a ruthless finish into the bottom left corner from a Brighton mistake.
Julian Alvarez capped the perfect evening for Pep Guardiola’s side with the fourth in the second half, sweeping in from close range following good work from Kyle Walker.
Ederson had to save from Danny Welbeck inside the first two minutes but City’s quality soon came through with De Bruyne brilliantly powering Walker’s cross home with his head from 12 yards.
Julian Alvarez deputised well up front for the injured Erling Haaland, flashing a shot across goal, with Brighton unable to find a way out of City’s press.
The hosts were unfortunate twice in conceding the second. Foden was awarded a free kick on the edge of the box after losing his footing and his set piece was diverted in off Pascal Gross.
Brighton had bravely tried to play out from the back yet were undone when Bernardo Silva cut out the pass of young left-back Valentin Barco and the ball ran for Foden to finish.
Gross saw his penalty appeal waved away early in the second half when he went down under pressure from Rodri before Nathan Ake escaped when the ball hit his right arm in the box.
Up the other end, Alvarez had two attempts at goal, but it was with his third that the net rippled. Ederson found Walker down the Brighton left with a long pass and the right-back powered into the area, sliding in for the ball with Steele forcing it to Alavarez who turned into an empty net.
The frustrated home fans were left raging when their third penalty appeal of the evening turned down after Joao Pedro hit the deck in the box having tangled legs with Josko Gvardiol.
Pedro missed Brighton’s best chance late on from close range while substitute Jeremy Doku was denied City’s fifth by the left foot of Steele in injury time.