Brighton vs. Manchester City Preview

Brighton is set to host the reigning three-time Premier League Champions Manchester City on Wednesday at 3 p.m. EDT at the Amex Stadium. With the title already in hand, Manchester City seemingly have nothing to play for, and with the Champions League final looming, Pep Guardiola must decide whether it’s worth risking his star players. Erling Haaland, the record- breaking Premier League goal scorer, and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish have taken the Premier League by storm this season. Should Pep play his stars so they aren’t rusty heading into the Champions League final? Is it worth risking injury before the biggest game in the club’s history? No matter the decision, Pep will want them fit and ready for the match on June 10.

We might see a similar Manchester City lineup to their Sunday win vs. Chelsea where the younger players were given a chance to play. However, when it comes to Manchester City, there is no such thing as a weak starting 11 since their youth players dominated Chelsea and won comfortably thanks to a Julian Alvarez first-half goal. Brighton achieved a European spot for the first time in the club’s history last weekend with a 3-1 win vs. Southampton. A draw tomorrow would secure them a Europa League spot rather than a spot in the Conference League. Even if Brighton fails to keep Manchester City quiet tomorrow they still have a chance to secure Europa League football if they avoid losing on the final day of the season on the road against Aston Villa.

The last two matches remaining for Brighton will be a challenge but Roberto Di Zerbis' men have had no problem beating big teams on their home field. Brightons’ most notable home wins this season include 3-0 against Liverpool, 4-1 against Chelsea, and 1-0 against Manchester United. The Amex will be buzzing tomorrow, and the Brighton players will be focused knowing Europa League football is on the line. Manchester City will want to keep on winning and show Inter Milan what’s coming for them in the Champions League final.

Look out for more SoccerTalk content as the season comes to an end.

(Image via The Independent)