Manchester City produced a stunning display against Brighton tonight, beating the Seagulls 4-0 at the Amex Stadium.
It was vital for Manchester City to respond after Arsenal thrashed Chelsea and on paper, this was a difficult game. We have all seen what a superb job Roberto De Zerbi has done at Brighton.
But this was a very comfortable evening for City, who sent a serious message to the Gunners.
Brighton made a confident start to the game, but City worked out how to deal with their passing and ended up bossing them.
It was Kevin De Bruyne who got the ball rolling with a stunning header – the first he has ever scored in the Premier League – after a great cross from Kyle Walker.
Phil Foden continued his fine season, scoring from a free-kick with a deflection and then a clinical first-time effort inside the area after Brighton overplayed.
De Bruyne’s header was quite something, and Jamie Redknapp was left blown away by the Belgian’s finish…
Jamie Redknapp lauds ‘magnificent’ Kevin De Bruyne header for Manchester City against Brighton
There was real potential for this game to be a banana skin for City. Brighton are a great side and have a top manager, and in the early stages, it looked like they could take the game to the visitors.
But De Bruyne’s moment of genius allowed City to settle and then dominate the game.
And what a header it was. It was good work from Foden initially, and then Walker put in a teasing ball from the right side.
While it was a good ball, there was plenty for De Bruyne to do given where he was in the box.
De Bruyne got under the ball and looped the ball over Jason Steele, and Jamie Redknapp likened it to a famous goal that was scored at the World Cup.
He said on Sky Sports: “We’ve seen the full repertoire from De Bruyne over the years. Top corners, right foot, left foot. The one thing we didn’t expect today was a Robin van Persie-style diving header.
“That is a magnificent header. That’s his first Premier League header. He’s scored three I think for City. But that one, it just shows, well why hasn’t he scored more because he’s so good in that position.
“It’s a wonderful team goal, but also incredible technique with the header. Look at this, (it’s like) van Persie at his best.”
A brilliant goal, from a sensational player
There really is nothing Kevin De Bruyne cannot do on a football pitch.
This was an amazing piece of skill from the £55 million man, and it was no surprise to see how chuffed he was with it.
He had so much to do, and it’s possible it could be a Goal of the Month contender.
It was just a great night all round for City, who have sent a huge message to Arsenal with the win and performance.
