Phil Foden registered two goals and one assist as Manchester City brushed aside Brighton & Hove Albion 4-1 at the Amex Stadium.
Manchester City continued their goalscoring form as they secure a comfortable 4-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The three points help the defending champions maintain the pressure on league leaders Chelsea while remaining on top of Liverpool, in the Premier League standings.
It was a game of two halves for Manchester City, who were completely dominant in the first 45 minutes. They looked sharp going forward, which led to multiple goalscoring opportunities. Ilkay Gundogan scored the opener in the 13th minute, although in a slightly controversial manner as the referee Kevin Friend opted not to award Brighton a foul despite heavy protest from the player.
The Citizens then continued to dominate proceedings, even bagging a second in the 28th minute through Phil Foden. The young winger doubled his own tally shortly before half-time, with Man City cruising at that moment.
An improved second half display from Brighton, though, saw the game change quickly as the Seagulls pushed forward for a potential comeback. In fact, they had pinned down City for the large part, after the restart, and were rather unlucky to score just one goal through penalty, which only proved to be a consolation when Riyad Mahrez netted a late goal for the visitors.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will rank the Manchester City players in their comprehensive 4-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.
Ederson Moraes: 7/10
Ederson made one crucial save in the second half to deny Brighton the chance to initiate a comeback. In fact, he was quite busy after the restart and had to make another save off Leandro Trossard, though he won’t be happy to have conceded a late penalty that allowed Brighton to score a consolation goal. A missed clean sheet for the Manchester City goalkeeper.
Fucking hell man why did Ederson even come out for that. He’s had a good game until that stupid error as well. And of course he didn’t save the pen
— Ryan. (@FavelaFIair) October 23, 2021
Kyle Walker: 7/10
Kyle Walker had a sound game for the large part, but he was tested quite often when Trossard started to ask questions, especially after the restart. It was certainly not one of his best performances and a slightly better showing in defence may have helped Manchester City avoid conceding the late goal.
Ruben Dias: 8/10
Ruben Dias had a solid game at the heart of the Manchester City backline. He was a rock at the back, throwing his body on the line on every occasion while also showcasing his ability to read the game. The Portuguese international notably made five clearances while making multiple turnovers throughout the game. His leadership was also essential in maintaining the solidity at the back.
Aymeric Laporte: 7.5/10
Aymeric Laporte offered decent defensive support to Dias. His intuition and ability to effortlessly rotate possession was a major bonus for City and it combined quite well alongside the uncompromising Portuguese. Laporte did make an early error, but made up for it by keeping the defence stable for the most part.
Joao Cancelo: 7.5/10
These stats are insane for a fullback. Cancelo is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/XYvPx9vhlz
— ⚡️?? (@Priceless_Silva) October 23, 2021
While Laporte, Dias and Walker were mostly involved in defence, Joao Cancelo’s impressive offensive output was a major help for Manchester City, in their attacking and build-up play. The former Juventus star looked quite comfortable linking up with Jack Grealish out wide and had played a key role in the forays down the final third.
Bernardo Silva: 8/10
Bernardo Silva offered a lot of tenacity in the Manchester City midfield as well as skill and ability to create opportunities for his teammate. In fact, the former AS Monaco starlet assisted Gundogan for the opener. And it appears the Portuguese international tends to thrive even more when Kevin de Bruyne is not in the team, as it gives him the positional freedom and make darting runs into the heart of the opposition defence.
Rodri: 7/10
Rodri was a stable operator at the base of Manchester City’s 4-3-3. He controlled the game well, using his ball distribution to stretch the Brighton defence while also creating some crucial turnovers in the middle of the park. Always a useful outlet in midfield.
Ilkay Gundogan: 8/10
Most Premier League goals scored in 2021:
?? Mohamed Salah (16)
??????? Harry Kane (15)
?? Ilkay Gundogan (13)Keeping up with the forwards. pic.twitter.com/E8io1MwgED
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 23, 2021
Ilkay Gundogan continued his excellent record against Brighton by scoring the all-important opener in the 13th minute. Aside from the goal, the midfielder was involved heavily in City’s forward play, often making driving runs into the final third and linking up well with his teammates in and around the channels. It was yet another top performance from the German international, whose return to form will be crucial to City’s title bid.
Gabriel Jesus: 7.5/10
It was an impressive performance from Gabriel Jesus. Operating on the right hand side, the Brazilian international was a constant threat for Brighton on the counter due to his electric pace while the attacker showed a lot of grit to challenge the goalkeeper inside the box, almost forcing the first goal before assisting Foden for the third.
Phil Foden: 9/10
Phil Foden was arguably the best player for the night for Manchester City. The Englishman led the line with aplomb, often finding himself in good positions and linking up quite well with teammates. Also showcased his effectiveness in front of goal by scoring two well-taken goals in the first half while creating a plethora of opportunities for his teammates, including the assist for the fourth goal.
Phil Foden all-time stats for Manchester City:
✅133 games
⚽️35 goals
?️26 assists
?directly involved in a goal every 117 minutes21 years of age. Future Legend. ? pic.twitter.com/yylyiQe7ZE
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) October 23, 2021
Jack Grealish: 7.5/10
Jack Grealish was always a threat for Brighton down the left hand channel. He constantly probed the defenders with his silky footwork while his combination play with Cancelo and Foden was eye-catching. The new signing notably assisted Foden for the second goal while offering multiple key passes in the final third.
SUBSTITUTES
Fernandinho: 6/10
A late replacement for Gundogan, as Pep Guardiola opted for additional defensive bodies to see out the lead. Looked a bit weak defending Tariq Lamptey on one occasion.
Kevin de Bruyne: N/A
A late replacement for Grealish. Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
Riyad Mahrez: N/A
Scored the final goal for Manchester City through an excellent finish past Robert Sanchez. Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating, though.
