Manchester City smoothly closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal, moving within one point with a game in hand, after a comfortable win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
The match, which initially seemed challenging, was effectively decided by halftime as City surged ahead with a three-goal lead. This victory propelled them into second place, overtaking Liverpool, and ominously closing in on Arsenal.
Kevin de Bruyne’s first header in his 68 Premier League goals was a remarkable flying effort that found the top corner of the net, setting City on their path to victory. Phil Foden controversially doubled the lead nine minutes later, with referee Jarred Gillett awarding City a free-kick despite Foden appearing to slip.
Brighton’s misfortune continued as Pascal Gross inadvertently deflected Foden’s resulting set-piece strike, leaving goalkeeper Jason Steele wrong-footed.
Brighton’s hopes of a comeback were dashed after 34 minutes when Foden calmly finished into the bottom corner, taking advantage of their defensive error while trying to play out from the back.
From that point on, Roberto de Zerbi’s side could only focus on limiting the damage. However, City extended their lead just after the hour mark when the ball slipped away from Steele during a challenge with Kyle Walker, allowing Julian Alvarez to capitalize on the opportunity.