Manchester City continued their relentless pursuit of a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title with a resounding 4-0 win over Brighton. Phil Foden stole the show with two goals, helping to keep City’s championship hopes alive.
Foden’s stellar performance mirrored his career-best scoring season as he found the net twice, complemented by goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Julián Álvarez, propelling City to extend their unbeaten league run to a staggering 18 games, narrowing the gap to league leaders Arsenal to just one point.
De Bruyne, speaking to Sky Sports after the match, said, “I don’t know if it was statement, obviously every game is a lot of pressure but the only thing we can do is try to perform as well as we did today.”
With five pivotal fixtures remaining, including challenging away trips and crucial home encounters, City find themselves well-positioned to secure another title. A clean sweep in their remaining matches would see them make history as the first team to secure four successive top-flight titles in English football.
Despite missing Erling Haaland due to injury, City’s attacking prowess remained formidable, allowing Foden to strengthen his position in the Golden Boot race. Foden now boasts an impressive tally of 16 league goals this season, with 24 across all competitions.
Reflecting on his positional shift, Foden remarked, “This year I’ve moved inside and it’s helped my game massively, I feel I can get a lot of goals there.”
De Bruyne’s diving header, courtesy of Kyle Walker’s precise right-wing cross, handed City the lead in the 17th minute. Shortly after, in the 26th minute, Foden doubled City’s advantage with a stroke of luck as his shot from a free kick deflected off the back of Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross, finding its way into the net to make it 2-0.
“It doesn’t happen too much, does it? I think the only way I could reach it was jumping to the ball, and it goes in like a little lob, but it’s obviously not something I’m really good at,” De Bruyne said after netting his first headed goal in the Premier League.
In the 34th minute, Foden extended City’s lead to three goals by curling home a precise low finish from just inside the area. Brighton’s attempt to play out from the back resulted in a turnover, allowing Foden to capitalize on the opportunity.
In the 62nd minute, Julián Álvarez, stepping into the forward role in place of Haaland, sealed the victory with City’s fourth goal. Kyle Walker exploited space on the right wing, cutting inside before challenging goalkeeper Jason Steele. Walker’s effort led to a well-placed pass across the box, where Álvarez calmly slotted the ball into the net, making it 4-0 for Manchester City.
Despite their commanding form, manager Pep Guardiola remained cautious, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the title race. “Many things can happen,” he stated. “What happened with Liverpool (losing recently) against Crystal Palace and Everton can happen to us. It can happen to Arsenal. No one is safe.”
As the only major European league with a title race still in contention, the Premier League continues to captivate fans worldwide, setting the stage for an exhilarating conclusion to the season.
