Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City are both on a mission to recover from two-goal setbacks in Sunday's Premier League showdown at the Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls succumbed to a 2-0 loss to Everton at the Toffees' new home last weekend, while the Sky Blues were slain by Tottenham Hotspur on their own soil - again.
Match preview
The Hotspur hoodoo has not yet been banished for Man City, who had ostensibly warmed up for the visit of their bogey team in the perfect manner by hitting Wolverhampton Wanderers for four without reply on the opening Premier League weekend.
However, that Molineux attacking masterclass mattered little when Tottenham came to town, as the Lilywhites broke the deadlock through a slick Brennan Johnson finish after an even slicker breakaway, before James Trafford's horrible howler gifted Joao Palhinha goal number two.
Losing new signing Rayan Ait-Nouri to injury in the first half compounded City's misery in Manchester, allowing potential title rivals Arsenal and Liverpool to build up early three-point advantages over Pep Guardiola's side, whose defeat last weekend snapped an 11-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Sunday's visitors have a particularly pleasing away record to fall back on for their trip to the Amex; they have avoided defeat in each of their last five on the road in the Premier League, keeping a clean sheet in every one of those battles.
The Sky Blues are now just one shut-out away from history - they have never kept a clean sheet in six successive away league matches before - while they have shipped just one goal from their last seven Premier League matches on rival territory.
Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler on August 2, 2025
In contrast, upcoming hosts Brighton let in double that amount in the space of 90 minutes last weekend, when they had the honour of being the first-ever Premier League visitors to Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium home.
Unfortunately for Fabian Hurzeler and co, their club were on the wrong side of history on Merseyside, as Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner - both set up by on-loan City attacker Jack Grealish - found the back of the net either side of the half-time whistle.
Also mourning the loss of three points from their dramatic opening-day draw with Fulham, the start of the Premier League season has been a sobering experience for the Seagulls, who have only ever failed to win their first three games of a campaign once in the last 15 years.
That occurrence came in their debut Premier League campaign in 2017-18, but Brighton mercilessly atoned for top-flight mistakes in the EFL Cup in midweek, obliterating Oxford United 6-0 thanks in part to a Stefanos Tzimas brace.
The Seagulls also have fond memories of taking four points from a possible six against Man City last season, and Hurzeler could now become just the second manager to face Guardiola three times and not suffer one loss, following in Ronald Koeman's footsteps.
Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:
Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):
Manchester City Premier League form:
Team News
Manchester City's Rayan Ait-Nouri receives treatment for an injury on August 23, 2025
As mentioned, Ait-Nouri was a casualty of Man City's loss to Spurs with a first-half knee problem, but he has been called up to represent Algeria in the September international break and is confirmed to be available for this one.
However, Josko Gvardiol (unspecified) and Savinho (unspecified) are not expected to make the trip south, which Mateo Kovacic (calf) and the ostracised Kalvin Phillips (Achilles) will both miss.
As a proposed move for Gianluigi Donnarumma is yet to be completed, Trafford ought to reprise his role in goal despite last week's howler, while Haaland is primed to make his 100th Premier League appearance at the other end of the field.
Meanwhile, Brighton came out of their loss to Everton and thumping of Oxford without any new concerns on the fitness front, although Hurzeler could not guarantee that Georginio Rutter would shake off a knock in time to make himself available.
A trio of knee victims in Adam Webster, Solly March and Julio Enciso remain on the sidelines; the latter's proposed move to Strasbourg - and eventually Chelsea - recently collapsed due to concerns over his fitness.
There are also no fears that Manchester United-linked Carlos Baleba will leave before the 7pm deadline on Monday, and he ought to be one of several big-hitters to come back into the hosts' first XI.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Van Hecke, De Cuyper; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, O'Riley, Mitoma; Welbeck
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Lewis, Stones, Dias, O'Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Silva, Reijnders, Marmoush; Haaland
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We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Manchester City
A manic Merseyside atmosphere did not help Brighton at Everton's new base last weekend, and a return to home comforts could also signal a return to scoring ways for Hurzeler's outfit.
City's attack will be back with a vengeance, though, and we have complete faith in Guardiola's men to banish the memories of last weekend with a familiar away-day success.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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