THE NOTEBOOK: Pep Guardiola can have Bruno Guimaraes for £100m
Phil Foden struck twice as Manchester City stepped up their bid for a fourth Premier League crown in a row with a ruthless 4-0 victory at Brighton on Thursday.
Kevin De Bruyne's superb diving header put City, missing top scorer Erling Haaland due to injury, ahead in the 17th minute.
Foden scored his first -- and 50th league goal -- with a deflected free kick and Brighton defensive errors allowed Bernardo Silva to win the ball and set up Foden to sweep a shot into the bottom corner before halftime.
Julian Alvarez completed the rout midway through the second half and Brighton, who remained 11th in the table, never looked capable of launching a fightback.
Mail Sport's Kieran Gill takes a look at some of things you may have missed.
Brighton’s tactics were clear from the off as they went man-to-man without the ball. Lewis Dunk was deserting the defensive line to follow Phil Foden.
Jan Paul van Hecke was tracking Julian Alvarez. Wherever Kevin De Bruyne went, so too did Jakub Moder.
Yet the one time he did leave his side, De Bruyne dispatched a delicious diving header from Kyle Walker’s cross to open the floodgates.
Typical. It was even the Belgian’s first-ever headed goal in the Premier League. It was a signature moment from a side who forever find a way to step up when the pressure is on. Five wins to go for the title.
Roberto De ZerBI previously said he does not like ‘80 per cent’ of the Premier League’s referees.
Brighton’s fans recalled those words when Foden won a free-kick after falling to the floor 20 yards out — never a foul — before making it 2-0.
‘De Zerbi’s right, the refs are s****,’ they sang at ref Jarred Gillett.
This match boasted the league’s two top passers of the ball. Leading the way is Rodri, that crucial cog in
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