BRIGHTON 0, MANCHESTER CITY 2
A pair of late goals broke a stubborn Brighton resistance in the final quarter of their first game back in the English top flight as Manchester City looked to continue their good recent record in opening day games in the Premier League.
Sergio Aguero broke the Brighton resistance with 20 minutes to go in a one sided contest with Lewis Dunk’s own goal confirming the City win.
Brighton had just 22% possession in a game which City had full control of although the Seagulls rode their luck in a one-sided first half which should have seen their visitors convert several decent chances.
Shot conversion was something that City boss Pep Guardiola discussed in his Friday press conference but the Spaniard was adamant that he would not change the fundamentals of his game.
True to his word, even with new signings Kyle Walker, Danilo and Ederson in the side City continued to play their high pressing passing game despite a relative lack of ambition from their hosts who made them work hard for the breaks that came their way.
Walker in particular caught the eye on the day, living up to his expensive price tag as he played as a right wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation against a stubborn Brighton side but linking well with City’s forwards.
Eventually, City’s quality was rewarded towards the end, when David Silva’s first time pass found Aguero and the Argentine striker added Brighton to his list of Premier League scalps collected.
The resistance had been broken and the points were City’s five minutes later when Fernandinho’s cross was headed into his own net by Lewis Dunk.
It was harsh for Dunk who had been denied goalscoring chances of his own but City were never in any real danger on the day despite being made to dig deep for victory.