Entering the away match against Brighton, Man City aimed to win to decide their own fate. As Pep Guardiola said before the match, Man City is under great pressure even though they have the right to decide, because the majority want to see a surprise happen and Liverpool can end 29 years without a trophy in the English championship. Even Brighton played with more than 100% strength despite being relegated.
In the first 20 minutes, coach Pep Guardiola's team encountered many difficulties against a scientifically organized defense from Brighton. Even in the 27th minute, it was the home team that took the lead. Glenn Murray jumped high to head the ball to open the scoring for Brighton in a corner kick.
However, Sergio Aguero once again played the role of Man City's hero when he scored the equalizer just one minute later. This goal relieved the psychology of the away team's stars and 10 minutes later, Pep breathed a sigh of relief when Man City scored the second goal.
From a corner kick on the right wing, Aymeric Laporte jumped high to head the ball from close range, giving goalkeeper Matthew Ryan a chance to block. The first half ended with a temporary advantage over Citizen.
In the second half, Man City continued to completely dominate the game. They pushed Brighton back deep to defend at home and what had to come about in the end. In the 64th minute, Riyad Mahrez motivated the Brighton player to be left out and then fired a powerful shot from the right foot into the home team's net.
In the 72nd minute, after Sterling was fouled in a 23m wide position, Ilkay Gundogan put an end to the efforts of the home team Brighton and Liverpool with a classy free kick to seal a 4-1 victory for the blue half of Manchester. Ilkay Gundogan's goal to seal the score came as an inevitable result when the Man City players were relaxed while Brighton seemed to give up late in the match.
In the remaining minutes, the two coaches made only procedural substitutions. The most memorable moment for the fans at Amex Stadium did not come from Man City but when Brighton captain Bruno was substituted off the field. This was the Portuguese defender's last match before retiring at the end of the season, so an emotional atmosphere appeared when he left the field.
The final whistle was also the moment when Pep Guardiola and his team celebrated enthusiastically. Having been 7 points behind at one point, Man City can still surpass Liverpool to become the first team to successfully defend the Premier League title after Man Utd for a full decade (2007 2008 and 2008-2009). Guardiola's team topped with 98 points, just 1 point above second-placed Liverpool.
