Man City face rising Brighton tide

THERE’S a potential humdinger at the Etihad today when Brighton and Hove Albion face Manchester City in the match of the weekend.

It is certainly one worth savouring as the Premier League returns after the two-week international break.

The big thing about this clash is the return of Rodri to Man City’s midfield after his three-match suspension, brought on by a straight red.

And the champions will need all the firepower they can muster in the face of three successive defeats and a slip in the standings from first to third.

In contrast, Brighton are playing the most attractive football in the league and are only overshadowed by Arsenal and Tottenham, who top the table.

This Brighton side, which lost the core of their midfield in summer signings to “richer and bigger” clubs, are no longer to be taken lightly.

They are, after all, playing European football on merit and are widely regarded as genuine top-six material.

Roberto De Zerbi is the architect steering them to new heights and moulded a squad that many feel can match, if not beat, Man City at their own possession game.

But with Rodri back, things might be a little different from the three defeats Man City suffered in his absence.

The Madrid-born star is arguably the most influential midfielder in the English game at the moment, and if he brings with him a sense of stability today, then Brighton might wish that they visited the Etihad while he was still on forced vacation.

However, it may be that even if Rodri does return with a trademark performance, it could prove inadequate for them to get past a unit that is just two points behind Pep Guardiola’s Citizens and four off the top of the standings.

In this regard, Man City are nowhere near the form that propelled them to a unique Treble last season, in which they won the FA Cup, English Premier League and Uefa Champions League titles.

Guardiola, the perfectionist that he is, understands this more than anybody, and he will hope to smoothen out the bumpy ride they’re on right now.

Perhaps the two-week break will have given him the time he needs to sort things out in the background and get his team to play like we all know they can.

When City are in full flight, hitting all the right notes and playing with the verve that no other team can match, they are the best in the world.

Arsenal, second on the table but equal with leaders Tottenham on points, are down to play Chelsea in what could turn out to be a tricky London derby.

The Blues appear to be finding a bit of form under Mauricio Pochettino, who took over at Stamford Bridge in the off-season.

They might be languishing in 11th place, but they did win their last two matches and seem to be overcoming the problems they had with getting all the new players there to gel.

There’s no denying that Pochettino will need time to stamp his mark on the side, but if they can continue as they did in their last couple of games, they will be making decent progress in that regard.

Many will opt to give Arsenal the point even before they clash. The Gunners have been good this season, showing a more solid character than last term when flattered to deceive.

Nonetheless, with home advantage, the Blues might edge it.

West Ham United’s visit to Aston Villa is similarly too close to call for some, but perhaps the London side will have more to gain and thus come through with the right result.

In seventh place, they are two points off Villa, who haven’t lost in their last four league outings, while the Hammers have suffered two defeats over the same period.

But that is history and might not mean much in tomorrow’s only Premier League action.