Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League table without kicking a ball this weekend. Arsenal's 3-0 defeat at Brighton on Saturday allowed City to take first place on goal difference.
Pep Guardiola's side now sit first with 12 points from four straight wins. Their next chance to extend that lead comes on Sunday at home to Sunderland, who held City to a goalless draw in their last meeting on New Year's Day.
The result at the Amex Stadium was a comprehensive one for Brighton. Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas scored in the first half before Chema Andres headed in a third from a Gross corner after the break.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler referenced a narrow home loss to Arsenal last season in his post-match comments. "Only one team tried to play football," he said, contrasting the performances.
His team's form has been impressive, following a 5-0 league win over Coventry and a 3-2 victory at Manchester United in the League Cup during the week. For Arsenal, it was a repeat of a 3-0 home loss to Brighton from May 2023.
City's own form is formidable, with five consecutive wins in all competitions. Their most recent result was a 5-0 thrashing of Norwich, with Floyd Samba scoring twice. Erling Haaland, the club's top scorer this season with four goals, netted the winner in the previous league game at Manchester United.
The team's current position and detailed statistics are available on our standings and stats pages. Sunday's match against Sunderland offers a chance to move three points clear at the summit.
Further reading: Al Jazeera
