Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Kyle Newbould

Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish return in Man City fans' preferred line-up vs Brighton

Manchester City face Brighton this evening and supporters have backed Pep Guardiola to name a strong starting XI for their clash on the south coast.

City lifted a third straight Premier League trophy on Sunday after beating Chelsea 1-0 at the Etihad, with Guardiola able to name a much-changed side following Arsenal's defeat at Nottingham Forest the day before.

The players enjoyed a celebratory dinner in the city centre on Monday and have since been preparing for their penultimate game of the league season - a difficult trip to face a Brighton side trying to reach the Europa League.

ALSO READ: Pep Guardiola stance on future if he wins the treble this season

And while the league is wrapped up, momentum will be a key factor in pushing City through to major finals in the FA Cup and Champions League. As such, supporters have predicted the return of several first-team regulars.

Most notable is the return of Erling Haaland, who was benched for Sunday's win but came on with around 15 minutes remaining. The Norwegian has bagged a record-breaking 36 goals in the league this season and will still hold hope of hitting 40 - a target not unreachable by his standards.

Jack Grealish has also been tipped to return to the starting line-up having enjoyed a day off over the weekend. The former Aston Villa man has been central to City's success this season, admitting after Sunday's trophy lift that this year's title meant more than last season due to that fact.

Riyad Mahrez has been tipped to keep his place from Sunday. Kalvin Phillips has also been backed to retain his place, following a first league start of the season on Sunday. The 27-year-old enjoyed a steadily impressive game at the Etihad with the pressure off and could provide more welcome rest for Rodri.

Ahead of Phillips, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan could return. Kyle Walker was the only player in the backline to compete 90 minutes on Sunday, and the 32-year-old has been backed to enjoy some rest for this evening's game with Rico Lewis moving into right-back. Ruben Dias could return to the backline, featuring alongside Aymeric Laporte with Manuel Akanji moved across to left-back.

And finally, Ederson has been backed to return between the posts with Stefan Ortega dropped despite keeping a clean sheet over the weekend.

READ NEXT

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.