After what was a really good pre-season, Saturday will see what Manchester City have to offer this season.
Away on the first day against a newly-promoted side is not as easy as it might seem on paper as many other established clubs have found out over the years.
Last season, newly-promoted Hull City secured a 2-1 win as they hosted, then Champions, Leicester City. The season before it was Everton who could only manage a draw at home to Watford.
With Brighton returning to the top flight after a 34-year absence, Guardiola would be foolish to underestimate Chris Hughton’s side. Also, considering this will be the first ever Premier League game for the Seagulls and if City do not spoil the party early it could be a tough evening.
Personally, I think City will start bright and have too much for the Albion. The difference will tell at the end but, historically, are there ties that bind the two sides together.
Results
Manchester City and Brighton have met only seventeen times in their history in all competitions.
The first game was an 5-1 FA Cup win for City, in a season when we’d make it all the way to the Semi Final stage back in 1924.
Brighton had to wait almost 60 years before getting their revenge, beating us 4-0 in the same competition in 1983.
It has now been almost a decade since our two sides last met, with us eventually losing on penalties in the League Cup in September 2008. Stephen Ireland (pictured) would be the last City player to score against the Seagulls.
Overall, City have had the better of the history. Winning just under half the games, only suffering defeat in five (although only three in the League).
31 goals were scored by City in those games while we conceded 24.
Managers
Steve Coppell (pictured) was Brighton manager for the 2002-03 season. He was at City for little more than a month. He cited the pressure of the job as the reason for leaving us. Going for the Brighton job he was much more relaxed, he reportedly fell asleep during the interview.
Much more substantial (for both clubs) is Brian Horton. A Brighton player from 1976 to 81 he made over 200 appearances for Albion.
1993-95 he was with the Citizens and sold legend David White. He did redeem himself though as he signed Peter’s Walsh and Beagrie along with Uwe Rosler.
Returning to Brighton in February 1998, who were at the wrong end of the table in the fourth tier. He secured their football league status before leaving just under a year after joining.
Players (City Loans)
The Israeli wonder kid, Gai Assulin, came from Barcelona to City in 2010. Unfortunately he was too old to play for the Next Gen tournament the Elite Development Squad (EDS) were involved in and wasn’t getting called up by City boss Roberto Mancini.
In 2012 both he, and Abdul Razak (pictured) were loaned to Brighton. Both only made a handful of appearances on the south coast before eventually getting moved on by the Blues.
Players (Signed)
Ian Mellor started his career at City before moving to Brighton, after a spell with Norwich.
Michael Robinson was signed by Malcolm Allison as a youngster with no top flight experience in 1979. He was sold to Brighton the next season for less than we paid and he went on to help Brighton get to the 1983 FA Cup Final, losing eventually to United after a replay.
Ironically Robinson fed Gordon Smith for that famous miss in the first game, and we signed him for the next season. He was our top scorer in his second, and final season, with us before moving on again.
Paul Dickov (pictured) was loaned to Brighton while he was an Arsenal player. It would be his first period with us that would make his name though, 158 games with 35 goals including a very important one at Wembley.
Finally we have a City Hall of Fame member who also pent time on the south coast. Joe Corrigan started with us and played close to 500 games for the blues. Although he never won the League or FA Cup with was between the sticks when we won our lone European trophy and both League Cups won in the 1970’s.
Keys To The Match
The Brighton captain, Bruno (pictured), has said all the right things in the run up to this massive game. The first Premier League match for Brighton will not be a party atmosphere, he said. Vowing to make City ‘uncomfortable’ is saying nothing new.
Even last season, when City were below expectations, only Middlesbrough, managed to get anything off us on their ground with us expected to win.
Edison in goal gives me more confidence if they do break away we can handle it. I think it will be an occupation of their eighteen yard box for the majority of the 90 minutes though. Our downfall will be our own frustration if we continue to squander chance after chance, as we did last season.
Early goal will relax us and we will get that within the first 15 minutes. Raheem Sterling will get on the score sheet and I can see the final result being a confidence boosting 4 or 5 goals to nil.