Premier League champions Manchester City will attempt to return to winning ways when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
While the Citizens are striving to avoid a third successive top-flight defeat for the first time since 2016, the Seagulls are hoping to end a four-game winless run in all competitions.
After coming up short against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup and then Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, City hoped that their win over Leipzig would act as a catalyst to turn their fortunes around heading into a top-flight showdown with Arsenal. However, a sluggish showing and a late deflected goal from Gabriel Martinelli ultimately resulted in a slender 1-0 loss in North London, condemning the Citizens to back-to-back league defeats for just the second time under manager Pep Guardiola.
Just one shot on target was registered by Man City against the Gunners, remarkably the fewest shots a Guardiola team has ever produced in a league fixture for more than a decade, and the reigning top-flight champions now find themselves sitting third in the table, two points adrift of both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur after eight games.
City's domestic blip in form coincided with the absence of suspended lynchpin Rodri, while Erling Haaland's hot streak in front of goal briefly fizzled out before he laced his shooting boots on international duty with Norway. Nevertheless, Guardiola is confident that his side "will come back stronger" as they continue their pursuit of a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title.
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