Perhaps Brighton and Hove Albion were always cruising for a bruising. Just as it appeared as though Roberto de Zerbi’s side were threatening to stage an unlikely comeback from two goals down at the home of the Premier League champions, they were put away by a black-eyed Kevin De Bruyne. Despite sporting a shiner picked up in training earlier this week, De Bruyne’s vision was 20-20 on the magnificent long-range strike which got Manchester City back to winning ways.
Normal service was resumed in that sense and in another. After drawing a blank in the defeat at Anfield last Sunday, this was also a return to the weekly ritual of Erling Haaland putting Premier League defences through a meat grinder. The Norwegian is back in the goals, if, after a one-game-long barren spell, it can be said that he ever really went away. He is certainly not leaving the top of the scoring charts anytime soon. Another brace made it 22 in 14 competitive games for City, 17 in the league alone.
