Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City - 3pm GMT Sunday 12th May 2019 - Premier League match Preview and MDT | Vital Football

Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City - 3pm GMT Sunday 12th May 2019 - Premier League match Preview and MDT

Buzz Lightyear

Alert Team
93.20 - Skoorb introduces the final League game machinations

City travel to the South coast for Sunday's final fixture of the league campaign knowing that Monday's thunderous shot from the unlikely boot of Vincent Kompany has kept their destiny firmly in their in hands. However, echoes of the 2012 title race jangle in the minds of the City faithful when a similar type of match against opponents at the opposite end of the league table very nearly turned their title hopes to ashes.

The stakes remain as high and the margin wafer thin - City need to match the result at Anfield to secure the title, the first ever title defence in the club's history and the second part of a potential domestic trophy treble - another potential historic accomplishment. Brighton are safe, their relegation worries are forgotten, their home record unremarkable. Should be straightforward.......

Only in our dreams.

Chris Hughton's side were safe when they faced Arsenal last weekend and could have been forgiven for sitting back, taking their foot off the pedal and relaxing. The actual result was a 1-1 stalemate with both teams only scoring from the penalty spot so they clearly didn't just lie down and allow Arsenal to trounce them. This time they are at home in front of their faithful supporters for whom they will want to put in a good show and demonstrate to them and the rest of the league that they are not just going to roll over.

It is going to be tense and as with all these matches, the precious jewel of an early goal (or three) for City would settle the nerves of the players and fans alike. Try as we might to put events occurring 270 miles away at Anfield will have to be put to out of our minds but we all know everyone at the ground will be monitoring their apps or other sources (& vice versa). News of changes in the scorelines of either game will creep onto the pitch like a fog flowing off the hillside.......impossible to guard against we have to make sure that it is the score from our match that causes the tension to ratchet up on Merseyside and not the other way around. The players have to play the game and not the occasion and we know they have the experience to get the job done.

To have reached this position after remaining engaged in four competitions until April and in the absence of last campaign's player of the season, Kevin De Bruyne coupled with the more recent injury to the most underrated defensive midfielder in the league, Fernandinho, is a remarkable achievement. Something which Pep alluded to recently as being underappreciated by a media which, he felt, largely favoured the title ending up on Merseyside.

But whatever the outcome of Sunday's matches we have witnessed a titanic battle for the Premier League crown and one where the excellence demanded by Pep and delivered by his players has forced Liverpool to raise their game. Pep has been at pains to point out that there have been two clubs fighting for the prize one of which, for a second consecutive season has amassed a points total which has never been witnessed before. We can be proud of our club, players, Pep and his coaching staff and all the other people working at MCFC who have supported the squad. The ground staff, the chefs, the administrative teams, the medical staff, the fans who turn out week after week........the list could go on and on.

Everyone has had a role to play and deserves credit for their contribution. :clap::tophat:

One game at a time is the manta........

City wounded and unavailable - Bravo, De Bruyne

Doubtful - Fernandinho, Mendy

Potential staring XI

Ederson
Walker, Kompany, Laporte, Zinchenko
Foden, Gundogan,Silva D
Silva B, Aguer, Sterling

Bench - Muric, Danilo, Otamendi, Stones, Sane, Mahrez, Jesus

Match officials
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett
Fourth official: Paul Tierney


Next - !8th May 2019 - Watford - Emirates FA Cup Final - Wembley 5.00PM
 
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Pep on the final game .....

"First of all, it’s a dream to be here, I didn’t expect this when we were seven points behind this Liverpool, so it’s a dream.

“Of course, now is not the moment to say how good we’ve done we have the chance to be champions. Okay if it happens it will be nice but nothing is going to change.

“The fact we’ve done incredibly well all season means in last two games we have two titles, two finals.

“It’ll be tough. If the game is going bad we will be calm, we have to have a plan and follow a plan like we have done all season.”
 
If Kev is fit I would slip him into the line up instead if Foden with the youngster evicting Rodney from the bench :wave:......or simply keep Kev in reserve and start young Phil.

He is going to be a fabulous player (PF) but we could see why Pep has been cautious with his introduction .......last Monday's game seemed to pass him by at times and he is still learning.
 
If Kev is fit I would slip him into the line up instead if Foden with the youngster evicting Rodney from the bench :wave:......or simply keep Kev in reserve and start young Phil.

He is going to be a fabulous player (PF) but we could see why Pep has been cautious with his introduction .......last Monday's game seemed to pass him by at times and he is still learning.

I'd play Mahrez
 
I think we'll take a risk with De Bruyne on the bench.

Ederson Walker Zinchenko Kompany Laporte Gundogan D Silva B Silva Sane Sterling Aguero

Danilo Stones Foden Mahrez De Bruyne G Jesus
 
Mahrez.....

All things being equal had that penalty gone in.......the table would read:-

Man City 97pts
Liverpool 93pts

Game over, title secured........:arrghh:
 
And if the Wolves player hadn't handled the ball when scoring then the table might read:-

City 99pts
Liverpool 93pts

But also had Archduke Franz 'Rio' Ferdninand not been assassinated in Sarejevo in 1914 then the map of Europe would probably look a bit different.

Goes to show...
 
Can understand the frustration, given the circumstances of the game, and the proximity of the miss to that game's conclusion.
Liverpool would point to the Stones/Ederson mix up, and clearance off the line, but maybe not quite as telling as there were still 70 minutes or so to go.
It's been a great race, but take a positive outlook - if we prevail, and I trust us to do so, it'll be talked about and remembered for a long, long time. (y)
 
I know Rodney's a convenient whipping boy, but Gundogan never really impressed me until he had to slot into the number 6. Pep is the master, he knows what he wants, and he wanted Mahrez. If he fails to take a step forward next campaign, then I'll be leading the charge to shift him.
 
Unless Brighton suddenly morphed into a mixture of Ajax/spurs I don't see the need for 4 defenders and a DM. Would have walker vk and Laporte at the back in a 3, Sane Dog Bernardo Jesus and Mahrez across the middle interchanging and confusing the crap out of them and let RS and Kun go wherever they want. The pace will murder them. Bring on Silva for Mahrez on 55 minutes if we are not 3 up.
 
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