Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion Picks and Predictions for Saturday, October 31, 2026
Manchester City and Brighton meet for the second time in four days after Wednesday's Carabao Cup thriller. The teams drew 2-2 before City advanced 4-3 on penalties. City leads the Premier League at 7-0-1 with 21 points, despite losing 2-1 to Aston Villa last weekend. Brighton is third at 5-1-2 with 16 points after beating Crystal Palace 5-0 in its latest league match. Saturday's rematch starts at 11:00 am ET at Etihad Stadium on Peacock. City is -150, Brighton +360 and the draw +350. Build your bankroll with our free soccer picks for this weekend's matches.
Manchester City Looking for Another Home Victory
Wednesday wasn't straightforward for City. Brighton took the lead twice through Malick Yalcouyé and Georginio Rutter, but Mateo Kovacic and Vitor Reis answered to force penalties. Gerónimo Rulli then made two saves in the shootout. The result came after City's 2-1 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday. Before that setback, Manchester City beat Ipswich 3-2 and Liverpool 3-0, along with a 5-3 victory over Sunderland. Four consecutive league wins preceded the Villa defeat, leaving City five points ahead of Brighton.
Erling Haaland has nine league goals, more than twice the total of any other City player. Rayan Cherki has contributed four, while Antoine Semenyo has scored twice. Cherki also has two assists, with Josko Gvardiol and Semenyo supplying three each. Manchester City averages 2.5 goals per match and creates 2.00 expected goals. The defense has conceded 1.12 goals per game, with three clean sheets. City rested several regular starters Wednesday, including Haaland, giving the striker a different preparation for Saturday's meeting.
Injuries: Antoine Semenyo is out. Matheus Nunes is doubtful.
Brighton & Hove Albion Bringing Plenty of Goals
Brighton came within a penalty shootout of eliminating City on Wednesday. Yalcouyé opened the scoring after 30 minutes, and Rutter restored the lead early in the second half. City recovered both times before Brighton lost the shootout. The Seagulls have been outstanding in their recent league matches, beating Crystal Palace 5-0, Sunderland 2-0 and Arsenal 3-0. Brighton also won 5-0 at Coventry City in September. That scoring form has helped the club reach third place, although Saturday brings another demanding trip to Manchester.
Pascal Groß has three goals and four assists, making him an important part of Brighton's attack. Charalampos Kostoulas has also scored three times, while Jack Hinshelwood has matched that total. Diego Gómez and Maxim De Cuyper have contributed two assists apiece. Brighton's 2.88 goals per league match is better than City's scoring average, while the Seagulls have conceded just 0.88. Five clean sheets underline the defensive improvement. Brighton also averages 60% possession, so the visitors won't necessarily spend the entire afternoon defending.
Injuries: Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Stefanos Tzimas, Femi Azeez and Zadok Yohanna are out. Pascal Struijk, Ferdi Kadioglu and Andres Chema are questionable.
Key To The Game
Wednesday's meeting showed Brighton can cause City problems, even when the hosts make changes. Both Brighton goals came from players finding space in dangerous areas. Haaland's expected return gives City a different threat, particularly against a defense that conceded twice in the cup match. Brighton has the attacking numbers to respond, with Groß creating chances and Kostoulas providing another scoring option. City averages 64% possession compared with Brighton's 60%, making control of midfield especially important. Neither team will want to surrender that advantage.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion Game Pick
- Manchester City (-150)
Brighton deserves respect after Wednesday's performance, but City has the stronger league record and home advantage. Haaland's nine goals give the hosts a scoring option Brighton didn't have to face in the cup. Cherki has also been productive, and City has scored 20 goals in eight league matches. Brighton's recent victories have been convincing, although matching that level against the league leaders is a different challenge. Another close match looks possible, but I expect City to find a way through. Manchester City is my pick at -150.
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion Over/Under Pick
- Over 3.5 (+105)
Wednesday produced four goals, and another entertaining match wouldn't be surprising. Brighton is averaging nearly three goals per league game, while City has scored at least three in three of its last four league victories. The hosts have Haaland available after resting him in the cup, and Brighton showed Wednesday that it can create opportunities at Etihad Stadium. Both defenses have strong league records, but the attacking quality on each side is difficult to overlook. I'm taking over 3.5 goals at +105.