English Premier
2025-08-31 - Brighton vs Manchester City
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 31st August 2025 - Kick Off 2pm
This game is live on TV
Brighton
The thumping win at Oxford United in the League Cup Second Round may have given the manager some food for thought considering it was a much changed Brighton team. While the fringe players impressed in front of goal in the 0-6 away win, the first team have created chances but failed to put the finishing touches to their football in the opening two League fixtures.
A late goal on the opening weekend cost Brighton two points and there was plenty more wastefulness on display in the eventual 2-0 defeat at Everton last weekend. Danny Welbeck was most guilty having missed a first half sitter and then later a Penalty, but Fabian Hurzeler will expect stronger results if The Seagulls can sustain this current performance level.
Brighton's win at Oxford United means they have lost 1 of their last 8 games in all competitions, albeit the last one played in the Premier League. Despite conceding late in the 1-1 draw with Fulham, Brighton have been able to push their unbeaten run at the Amex Stadium to 5 consecutive Premier League games.
Georginio Rutter was a surprise absentee last week at Evertom and he missed out on Wednesday night in the Cup too, which leaves him doubtful.
Manchester City
After the poor campaign last time around and the subsequent early exit at the Club World Cup, Manchester City entered this season as third favourites to win the Premier League title. Some were rushing to reassess them following a convincing win on the opening weekend, but Pep Guardiola's men have work to do and that was evident in the home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday.
Both main title rivals have maintained 100% records through the opening two weeks of the Premier League season and Manchester City will not want Arsenal or Liverpool to get away early. Those two clubs face one another later on Sunday afternoon, but Guardiola's men have to focus on themselves as they look to bounce back from the defeat last time out.
Manchester City crushed Wolves 0-4 at Molineux and that meant they had won 6 of their last 7 games played in all competitions, although the optimism around this group of players would have dipped following the home loss to Tottenham Hotspur. The side are unbeaten in 5 away Premier League games, but 2 of those did end in goalless draws.
Josko Gvardiol and Savinho are hoping to be involved this weekend, although the latter has been linked with a move away. Rayan Ait-Nouri picked up a first half knock against Spurs and may not be available until after the international break.
Head to Head
Brighton took four points from Manchester City last season with the majority earned from a 2-1 win over them at the Amex Stadium.
Manchester City had been unbeaten in 3 previous visits to this part of the South Coast and had won twice.
Prediction
Both of these clubs may be a touch disappointed with the starts made to the Premier League campaign, although there are some positives that will keep Fabian Hurzeler and Pep Guardiola from completely ripping up plans.
Better finishing would have led to a lot more points for Brighton, while Guardiola may put the Manchester City loss to Tottenham Hotspur down to the fact that the latter have long been something of a bogey team for his own.
In saying that, the two managers will be expecting positive reactions to 2-0 League defeats last weekend ahead of the first international break.
Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton impressed in both games against Manchester City last season and they created a lot of chances.
However, Manchester City did the same and it is no surprise that both fixtures ended with at least three goals shared out.
In fact, 8 of the last 9 between these two clubs have finished with at least three goals shared out and this has all of the hallmarks of another high-scoring game. Brighton will certainly look to be a threat on the counter attack and Manchester City showed they can be very dangerous in the final third in the crushing 0-4 win at Wolves on the opening weekend of the season.
Plenty of attacking football will be expected in this fixture and the neutrals should be excited about tuning into the match.
Manchester City do look a short price to win at odds on, especially when you think of the performance last week and the two against Hurzeler's Brighton last season.
However, Brighton have not exactly started off firing on all cylinders with some wasteful performances in the final third and so opposing that Manchester City price is not ideal.
Instead it just feels like a fixture that has every chance of finishing 2-1 either way and so backing the 'over' is the perhaps the most sensible play, even at the short prices the layers are offering out.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Brighton 2-2 Manchester City
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Over 2.5 Goals at 1.61 with Bet365
