MATCH REPORT AND PLAYER RATINGS - MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION

Image courtesy of 90min.com

A spectacular first half display was enough to see Manchester City beat Roberto de Zerbi's Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium, despite Brighton's second half improvement.

The Blues, who before yesterday had lost 3 of their last 4 games, looked on it from the first whistle. In particular, City were getting joy down their left hand side, with new boy Jeremy Doku getting the better of former City player James Milner, who was filling in at left back, on every occasion.

City got their first goal just a few minutes into the game, as a rapid burst of acceleration from Doku saw him beat Pascal Gross and Milner to the byline. He cut the ball back into the path of Julian Alvarez, who's scuffed effort beat goalkeeper Jason Steele at his near post for the seventh goal of what has been an impressive campaign so far for the Argentinian.

The Blues continued to dominate, with academy graduate Phil Foden also causing problems down the right hand side, this time against makeshift left back Solly March, who suffered an unfortunate late injury.

John Stones also looked good taking up the makeshift centre back/midfield role he adopted in the final stages of last season, as he once again showed his confidence and comfort playing in a midfield swarming with top players on both sides.

Eventually, a mistake by Brighton player Carlos Baleba was pounced upon by Erling Haaland, who, up to this point, had been very quiet. The Norwegian carried the ball towards goal, before unleashing a ripping low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, to end his mini 3 game goal drought and to score his ninth Premier League goal of the season.

City were still playing in top gear, with Doku once again looking the danger man on City's left hand side. The Belgian came close a few times when cutting inside onto his right foot and shooting, but, ultimately, he didn't test Steele for Brighton.

The Seagulls improved at halftime, with the ever pragmatic De Zerbi altering his system slightly to adapt to the game, something he is always willing to do. Milner was replaced by natural full back Joel Veltman, and Brighton pressed City higher up the pitch to stop, as De Zerbi explained in his post match interview, City's defenders getting time on the ball.

It saw big improvements, as City's grip on the game began to loosen. The front 4 of Doku, Alvarez, Foden and Haaland were getting less of the ball, and Brighton, through Japanese winger Karou Mitoma in particular, were beginning to test City's defence.

They didn't see any real chances until Ansu Fati's arrival on the pitch, as he and Mitoma began to double up down City's right hand side. After a quick Brighton break, the two combined as the on loan Barcelona forward scored his second goal for Brighton, as he slid a loose ball beyond Stefan Ortega-Moreno, who was in goal for City as Ederson recovered from international duty with Brazil.

City recovered and managed the game wisely after the goal, thanks largely to Guardiola bringing on Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish for Stones and Doku respectively.

Dias, who was a somewhat surprise omission from Guardiola's 11, helped offer security and leadership at the back, which would be needed very much at the end of the game. And, despite many fans in the stadium voicing their frustration with Grealish for being too conservative and playing backwards too much, the 28 year old came on to help City keep the ball and avoid dangerous Brighton transitions.

Things became more difficult for City, as Swiss international Manuel Akanji saw the first red card of his City career for two bookable offences, meaning City had to play out the last few minutes with 10 men. The second yellow card for Akanji was soft, and he'll now unfortunately miss the Manchester derby next Sunday.

Eventually, City saw the game out unscathed, and picked up three vital points against a difficult opponent. Ortega-Moreno came to claim a few high balls, and the team saw out the last few minutes defending as a unit, to ensure that Brighton didn't earn a smash and grab draw.

The team undeniably benefitted from the return of Rodri to the midfield, after his three game suspension. With both sides playing the same 4-4-2/4-2-4 man to man marking system, a large part of the game came down to the individual qualities of one player compared to another. And, despite Brighton's world class recruitment, City just ultimately had the better players on the day.

Despite a very even second half, City's sensational football in the first half was enough to warrant the three points, which'll hopefully put the Blues back on track heading into a tough run of fixtures.

City now travel to Switzerland for their next match in the UEFA Champions League, as they take on Young Boys in their third group stage match. Their next domestic game will see the Blues take a trip to Old Trafford, as they face the so far underwhelming Manchester United in the first derby of the season.

Here are the player ratings for the Blues' record breaking 21st home victory in a row:

Ortega-Moreno - 6.5/10 - Starting his first Premier League game of the season, Ortega-Moreno didn't have much to do from a goalkeeping point of view. His distribution is noticeably worse than Ederson's (whilst still superb) and he made a few good claims at the end of the game, as well as a good save at the feet of Mitoma in the second half.

Walker - 6.5/10 - Good in possession, and solid for the most part at full back. However, he was well beaten by Mitoma for the goal, who looked to have the measure of him on numerous occasions throughout the game.

Stones - 8.5/10 - Excellent performance on his return to the side. Stones dictated the play in midfield, and also offered an attacking threat in behind, making the odd underlapping run beyond the Brighton defence. It's good to have him back, and it'll be interesting to see the role he plays in the next few matches for the Blues.

Akanji - 7/10 - Generally solid, although could arguably have done more to clear the ball into a better area for Brighton's goal. Not marked down for his red card as on both occasions, he did the right thing in stopping the Brighton transition, and his second challenge was not worthy of a yellow card.

Gvardiol - 7.5/10 - City have struck gold again with another defensive signing. Gvardiol has slotted in perfectly, linking up well with Doku and Bernardo Silva on the left hand side. He defended his flank admirably too, giving His opposite number, Simon Adingra, no joy at all.

Rodri - 8/10 - Wow was it good to have him back. The influence Rodri has on the players around him is nothing short of remarkable, which was evident yet again, as he made no mistakes that come to mind in the entire game.

Alvarez - 8/10 - Another game, another goal for Alvarez, who is in the form of his life at the moment. The biggest compliment that can be given to him is that he's making it very difficult for him to be dropped once Kevin de Bruyne returns to full fitness.

Bernardo - 8/10 - Playing as a typical left sided 8, Bernardo put in arguably his best performance of the season to date. He floated around the pitch, picking up the ball and carrying it in small spaces to help City progress the ball to Doku. And, as always, he ran his socks off in the midfield, and played a vital role in City's pressing game.

Foden - 8.5/10 - The 23 year old was at his very majestic best for City, as he took the game by the scruff of the neck and drove relentlessly at Brighton's backline. His close control is mesmerising, his end product is ever improving, and, like Alvarez, he is making himself a difficult man to drop.

Haaland - 9/10 - Perhaps controversially, I believe that this was one of Haaland's best overall and most complete performances in a City shirt. His hold up play was near immaculate, and he created something out of nothing with his excellent goal. Overall, it can safely be said that the doubters are well and truly silenced for the time being.

Doku - 9/10 - In the first half particularly, the 21 year old was danger personified. Doku gave poor Milner a torrid afternoon, as he continuously rinsed him on both the inside and the outside. He got slightly less joy out of Veltman in the second half, but showed that once he brushes up on his end product, he'll become a world class player for many years to come.

Substitutes:

Grealish - 6.5/10 - As mentioned above, Grealish did exactly what Guardiola will have told him to do in his time on the pitch. Yes, there were undeniably occasions where he should've been more aggressive with the ball, but a simple pass backwards instead of a more menacing one is much better than losing the ball at that stage of the game.

Dias - 6.5/10 - Helped to shore up the defence with his organisation, communication and individual defensive skills. With Akanji's suspension, he is now almost a certainty to start the derby next week, which, if he is at his best, will greatly help City's defence against tough individuals.

Ake - Not enough time on the pitch to rank.