MANCHESTER CITY 4, BRIGHTON 0
Sergio Aguero scored twice as Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 win against Brighton but they lost Aymeric Laporte to a serious looking knee injury.
City boss Pep Guardiola made just two changes from the side that beat Bournemouth, with
Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring after two minutes for City, converting David Silva’s cut back from the left.
De Bruyne missed a chance to double the scores from another Silva cut back while the Spaniard swept a ball wide as City were wasteful.
Aymeric Laporte was stretchered off after 37 minutes, booked for colliding with Adam Webster but he painfully injured his right knee in the process.
He was replaced by Fernandinho who slotted in at centre half but Brighton had steadied the ship.
Leandro Trossard had a couple of chances for Brighton, with a close range shot headed away by Fernandinho.
But City were soon in a commanding lead with goals either side of the break by Sergio Aguero who turned in De Bruyne’s cross before curling one in past Matthew Ryan in the second half.
Aguero then turned provider to play in Bernardo Silva for City’s 4th just 17 seconds after he came on to finish off the Seagulls.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 4, Brighton 0
Ederson: 7. Little to do until a save from Leandro Trossard during a 4 v 3 break for Brighton, and tipped away a Pascal Gross effort late in the game.
Kyle Walker: 6. Put his England disappointment behind him to battle hard for the ball.
Nicolas Otamendi: 6. Solid defending. Was a bit slow getting back to his own half when Brighton were breaking and sold Fernandinho short at the end of the game with a pass before recovering it.
Aymeric Laporte: 6. Good distribution but seriously injured when he collided with Adam Webster and was stretchered off after 37 minutes.
Oleksandr Zinchenko: 7. Set up David Silva for his early cross and Kevin De Bruyne’s goal.
Kevin De Bruyne: 8. In a rich vein of form. Tap in open the scoring. Went wide after David Silva threaded him through again and volleyed wide in the second half.
Rodri: 7. Quiet game. Did well protecting the back four and improved after the break.
David Silva: 8. Another assist to add to his collection, setting up Kevin De Bruyne’s goal but sweeping a Raheem Sterling cutback wide himself before his touch allowed Aguero to score in the second half.
Riyad Mahrez: 7. Good footwork early on and tested Matthew Ryan a couple of times.
Raheem Sterling: 7. Quiet start but his cut back was almost turned in by David Silva and he diverted a Sergio Aguero chance wide.
Sergio Aguero: 9. Hardly a sniff but did his bit with the pressing and then took his chance just before the break after Kevin De Bruyne played him in from the right. He then doubled his tally after a great touch by David Silva to net his 7th goal in his last 7 shots on target. Unselfishly played in Bernardo Silva for his goal seconds after coming on.
Fernandinho (for Aymeric Laporte, 37): 7. Slotted in a centre back for his first appearance of the season and headed away Leandro Trossard’s goalbound scuffed shot.
Gundogan (for Kevin De Bruyne, 69): 6. Giving the Belgian a well deserved rest but his free kick was wayward.
Bernardo Silva (for David Silva, 78): No time to mark but the Portuguese midfielder scored 17 seconds after coming on.
GOALS – Manchester City 4, Brighton 0
Man City 1, Brighton 0: 2. David Silva’s cut back from the left was converted by Kevin De Bruyne from 8 yards out, sweeping in unmarked after Oleksandr Zinchenko released his captain down the left channel.
Man City 2, Brighton 0: 42. Sergio Aguero finally doubled City’s advantage from De Bruyne’s cross after making space for himself 10 yards out.
Man City 3, Brighton 0: 55. Sergio Aguero curled a great effort past Ryan from the edge of the box after a great touch on from David Silva off Zinchenko’s left wing cross again
Man City 4, Brighton 0: 79. Bernardo Silva scored with his second touch 17 seconds after coming on following an unselfish pass from Sergio Aguero to put him clean through
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 4, Brighton 0
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte (Fernandinho 37), Zinchenko, De Bruyne (Gundogan 69), Rodri, David Silva (Bernardo Silva 79), Mahrez, Sterling, Aguero
Man City Subs not used: Bravo, Angelino, Cancelo, Foden
Booked: Laporte 35 (obstruction on Adam Webster), Gundogan 84 (dissent)
Goals: De Bruyne 2; Aguero 42, 55; Bernardo Silva 79
Brighton: Ryan, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Montoya, Stephens, Propper, March, Bernardo (Murray 67), Maupay (Connolly 67), Trossard (Gross 74)
Brighton Subs not used: Button, Duffy, Jahanbakhsh, Mooy
Referee: Jonathan Moss