Notable figures
Man City lost 0-1 to Nottingham Forest in the previous round, which saw them drop to 5th in the table. They are only 1 point ahead of 7th-placed Brighton and 2 points behind Chelsea - 4th-placed Chelsea. Man City's only goal in the remaining period of the season is to be in the top 4, thereby winning a ticket to the Champions League next season.
To do that, they need to first beat Brighton. Fabian Hurzeler's side are reviving strongly with a run of four consecutive Premier League wins. This is also their longest winning streak since April 2017 in the Premier League (5 matches).
In contrast, Man City have lost nine Premier League games this season. This is the most losses Guardiola has suffered in a season, in his entire coaching career.
The Etihad Stadium is no longer a solid support for Man City. They have lost three Premier League games, most recently a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Erling Haaland will be a great hope for Man City. The Norwegian striker has scored 83 goals and had 16 assists in 93 Premier League appearances. If he scores or assists against Brighton, Haaland will become the first player to directly contribute to 100 Premier League goals in less than 100 games.
In contrast, Phil Foden is currently goalless in his last five games after opening 2025 with six goals in just four Premier League appearances. However, Foden was Man City's top scorer against Brighton in the Premier League with eight goals.
The defense is also a point that Man City need to improve. They have conceded 38 goals in the Premier League this season. Under Pep Guardiola, only in 2016-2019 did Man City concede more goals (39 goals).
For Brighton, their striker Joao Pedro is in good form. If he scores against Man City, he will become the first Brighton player to score in 4 consecutive Premier League matches and the second Brazilian player to do so after Richarlison (2 times, in March 2021 and April 2024).
Man City vs Brighton head-to-head record
In the first leg, Man City lost 1-2 to Brighton. Haaland scored to help the defending champions take the lead, but then Joao Pedro and O'Riley scored to help Brighton successfully come back.
In fact, both of Brighton's wins over Man City in the Premier League came after falling behind. Only Man United have had more comebacks against Guardiola's Man City in the Premier League than Brighton, with three wins.
However, Man City have never lost a home game against Brighton (won 10, drawn 2), winning 10 consecutive matches in the last 10 matches.
