Manchester City will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Brighton to the Etihad Stadium, following the end of their impressive winning start to the Premier League season.

City suffered their first league defeat of the campaign last weekend, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa to see their seven-match winning streak come to an end.

They must now contend with a Brighton side equally determined to recover from a disappointing result against Liverpool.

Despite the setback, City have plenty of reasons to remain confident ahead of the encounter, particularly given their formidable home record and Brighton’s struggles on the road.

Pep Guardiola’s men had made a perfect start to the campaign before their defeat at Villa Park, but the result did little to diminish the significance of their impressive opening eight matches.

They have accumulated more points at this stage than in each of the previous eight seasons, highlighting their improved consistency.

Their home form is even more encouraging, with City losing just one of their last 22 Premier League matches at the Etihad, recording 18 victories and three draws.

The hosts also boast an impressive record in Saturday matches played in this kick-off slot, having not lost a home Premier League game under those circumstances since October 2021.

Brighton, however, will not arrive in Manchester without confidence. he Seagulls had enjoyed an eight- match unbeaten run, comprising six wins and two draws, before their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend.

Despite that disappointment, Brighton remain among the league’s leading sides, sitting third with 16 points before the latest round of fixtures.

Their tally represents a joint-best start to a Premier League season in the club’s history. Nevertheless, their away form presents a major concern.

Both of their league defeats this season have come against teams in the top five, while they have lost four of their last six away league matches, winning only twice.

Their record against City also offers little encouragement. Although Brighton are unbeaten in their last four Premier League meetings with the champions, winning twice and drawing twice, they have never won a league match away to City.

The Seagulls have drawn four and lost 11 of their previous 15 away league encounters against them. The teams also met in the Carabao Cup during the week, adding another layer of familiarity to the contest.