Doku rocks Brighton as Blues bring mini crisis to an end

CITY went back to the future to end their worst Premier League run in five years by returning to the top of the table.

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

It is a sign of the standards set by Pep Guardiola and his players that they were on the cusp of unwanted history, and most of the talk ahead of this game was forecasting for the years ahead.

Guardiola is widely recognised as one of the best to have ever coached, and his labelling of Roberto De Zerbi as one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years has added to the buzz around the Italian and a potential move to the Etihad when Guardiola finally moves on.

Brighton instantly made an impression against the champions, with their high pressing causing problems inside a minute as Kaoru Mitoma earned a free-kick from Kyle Walker high up the pitch. But however visionary De Zerbi and his team may be, picking a 37-year-old James Milner at full-back against the youth and pace of Jeremy Doku was a mistake that anyone could have spotted.

The warning signs were there inside five minutes when Doku cut inside the box but fired over the bar, and minutes later he was afforded far too much time to waltz his way into the area before cutting back for Julian Alvarez to turn home his seventh goal of the season. The finish was scuffed but enough, which seemed to sum up City's afternoon. Another cardinal sin was soon committed by the visitors, with Carlos Baleba carelessly giving the ball away for Erling Haaland to pick up in the final third. The Norwegian slapped home a finish beyond Jason Steele to end his 387-minute goal drought - his second longest in a Blues shirt - and net his ninth league goal in nine games.