Manchester City needs to collect three points against Brighton & Hove Albion if it wants to keep the pressure on Liverpool atop the Premier League table.
The defending English champions are coming off three consecutive defeats for the first time since Apr. 2018. Manchester City lost to Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth and Sporting CP in the span of seven days, conceding seven goals and scoring just three across the fixtures.
A long list of injuries left City depleted in its recent matches, but several key players, including Kyle Walker, Jérémy Doku, Savinho and Kevin De Bruyne are once again available for Saturday's fixture. Walker and Savinho are the only two who logged significant minutes since returning, though.
Pep Guardiola confirmed Jack Grealish, Rúben Dias and John Stones are still dealing with various issues and will not feature against Brighton. The three join Rodri and Oscar Bobb on the sidelines.
Here's what City's XI could look like against Brighton on Saturday, Nov. 8.
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Manchester City Predicted Lineup vs. Brighton (4-2-3-1)
GK: Ederson—City's defense let Ederson down against Sporting CP. The goalkeeper will look to regroup and keep just his third clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
RB: Kyle Walker—Walker's spot on the right flank is open after Rico Lewis played 90 minutes on Tuesday. His lack of pace could leave City's backline exposed.
CB: Manuel Akanji—Akanji gets the challenge of going against Danny Welbeck, who has a goal or assist in five of his last seven matches.
CB: Nathan Aké—Expect Aké to return to the XI for Saturday's fixture, especially with Dias and Stones still unavailable. The 29-year-old brings much more stability to the backline compared to 19-year-old Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who got the nod in the Champions League.
LB: Joško Gvardiol—The Croatian is coming off an uncharacteristic poor performance against Sporting CP. Gvardiol has the tough task of keeping Ferdi Kadıoğlu, who just found the back of the net at Anfield, quiet.
DM: Mateo Kovačić—Kovačić continues to be Guardiola's replacement for Rodri. The Croatian will need to be at his best to stifle Brighton's threatening counter-attack.
DM: İlkay Gündoğan—Gündoğan brings fresh legs to the middle of the park after only playing 13 minutes on Tuesday.
RW: Bernardo Silva—Savinho could very well get the nod on the right-wing, but Silva's leadership and playmaking is needed on the pitch if City wants to get its first result in four matches.
AM: Phil Foden—The England international has found consistent playing time amid City's injury crisis and scored his team's lone goal against Sporting CP.
LW: Jérémy Doku—The Belgian featured off the bench in City's last two matches after he returned from injury, setting up his return to the XI before the November international break.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Manchester City Predicted Lineup vs. Brighton: Premier League.
