Erling Holland scored twice as Manchester City equaled a 91-year-old top-flight record in a 3-1 win over Brighton at the Etihad Stadium.
City were completing their 10th consecutive Premier League home win. They have scored at least three goals in all of them, something no side has done since Aston Villa, also in two seasons, in 1930 and 1931.
Holland now have an incredible 17 goals in 11 league games – and 12 in their last five home games.
However, it was captain Kevin De Bruyne who scored the best of the day, curling a superb shot into the top corner from 25 yards from Bernardo Silva’s inside pass.
It ended Brighton’s hopes of a comeback, which had been sparked after Leandro Troussard beat Ederson from a corner in the area in the second half.
As it is, Brighton are still without a win under new boss Roberto Di Zerbi, while Pep Guardiola’s side are within a point of leaders Arsenal.
Holland Scoring Machine
After failing to score at Liverpool last weekend, Holland went on a – for him – two-hour barren run without a goal.
His opener emphasized how much pace, power and awareness he has.
City keeper Ederson deserves huge credit for launching a long ball from his own penalty area over the top of the Brighton defence.
Seagulls keeper Robert Sanchez was out of his goal but Holland beat him to the ball and knocked it past him. He then pushed Adam Webster out of the way before slotting the ball into an empty net.
That means Holland’s longest run without a Premier League goal at 148 minutes remains.
Soon after the video assistant referee stopped play for Lewis Dunk’s foul on Silva, he had another penalty.
The goal was Guardiola’s 600th as City boss, achieved in a trophy-laden six-and-a-half year that saw City recognized as ‘Club of the Year’ at the Ballon d’Or awards last week.
All was not perfect for the city. Riyad Mahrez missed a glorious chance to put the trio ahead just before Troussard’s goal after De Bruyne’s upset. The Algerian players were clearly unimpressed as they were replaced by Phil Foden.
And Aymeric Laporte needed injury treatment in stoppage time, which could put him in doubt for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund.
Brighton complaints
Brighton had complaints against both of City’s first-half goals.
Webster was still complaining to referee Craig Pawson at the break that he had been fouled by Holland for the opening goal, while centre-back Dunk argued that Silva had kicked him instead of the other way round.
Both of those were debatable calls – and the kind the visiting teams need to go their way if they are to leave the Etihad Stadium with anything.
It was pretty clear that Brighton’s fourth place in the table was wrong when Graham Potter left for Chelsea and there were some tough games to come.
However, De Zerby now has two points from five games in charge ahead of Potter’s return to the Amex Stadium next Saturday.
Subtle changes have been made to Potter’s team by the Italian, who wants Moises Cicado and Alexis McAllister to be on the ball more often in midfield, but a familiar Brighton failure to score enough goals is once again evident. .
Troussard’s goal came under speculation. But he squandered Brighton’s best chance to equalize when he burst into the box and instead of finding a central team-mate, tried to beat Ederson from an impossible angle.
