Brighton vs Manchester City: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview

Oliver Platt

Brighton vs Manchester City: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview image

Premier League title favourites Manchester City open their season away to newly promoted Brighton on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola has opened the club chequebook to bring the likes of Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy to the Etihad Stadium over the past couple of months, with more expensive additions looking set to follow before the deadline passes.

Man City team news & injuries

Their aggressive strengthening means the Seagulls - who look set to break their transfer record for a third time this summer in the coming days, though with much smaller sums - should face a stiff first challenge as they return to the top flight.

Game Brighton vs Manchester City
Date Saturday, August 12
Time 17:30 BST / 12:30 ET

TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM


David Silva Manchester City

In the UK, the match will be available to watch live on television on BT Sport 1 and by stream via the BT Sport app.

UK TV channel Online stream
BT Sport 1 BT Sport app

In the US, the match will be available to watch live on television on NBC and by stream via NBC Sports Live.

US TV channel Online stream
NBC NBC Sports Live

SQUAD & TEAM NEWS


Position Brighton players
Goalkeepers Ryan, Maenpaa
Defenders Bruno, Bong, Hunemeier, Dunk, Goldson, Duffy, Rosenior, Suttner
Midfielders Stephens, Skalak, Knockaert, Gross, Sidwell, Murphy, March, Propper, LuaLua, Towell, Ince, Ahannach
Forwards Hemed, Murray, Brown

Brighton have agreed terms on a club-record deal for Club Brugge winger Jose Izquierdo but he may not be registered in time to feature on Saturday.

Sam Baldock and Beram Kayal are out but while Anthony Knockaert is unlikely to start as he works his way back from injury, he could feature in some capacity.

Potential starting XI: Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Suttner; March, Propper, Stephens, Brown; Gross; Murray.

Position Man City players
Goalkeepers Bravo, Ederson, Muric
Defenders Walker, Danilo, Kompany, Stones, Mangala, Denayer, Otamendi, Adarabioyo
Midfielders Sterling, Nasri, De Bruyne, Delph, Sane, B. Silva, D. Silva, Fernandinho, Roberts, Zinchenko, Toure, Foden
Forwards Aguero, Bony, Jesus

A number of players currently in City's first-team squad - such as Fabian Delph, Wilfried Bony and Samir Nasri - are up for sale and unlikely to play any part on the south coast.

Benjamin Mendy will have to wait for his debut due to a thigh problem while Ilkay Gundogan has returned to training but will need a few weeks to build up his fitness.

Potential starting XI: Ederson; Kompany, Stones, Otamendi; Walker, D. Silva, Toure, De Bruyne, Danilo; Jesus, Aguero.


BETTING & MATCH ODDS


Glenn Murray Brighton

City are 1/3 favourites to win, according to dabblebet, with Brighton priced at 8/1 and the draw available at 4/1.

Gabriel Jesus is the 5/2 favourite to score first, with Sergio Aguero rated at 11/4. Click here to view dabblebet's full selection of match markets.


GAME PREVIEW


Gabriel Jesus Manchester City

Manchester City entered the 2016-17 season as many pundits' favourites for the Premier League title and do so again this year, but now the pressure will really be on to live up to expectations.

Pep Guardiola has had a full campaign to work with most of his players and two summer transfer windows to strengthen, with hundreds of millions of pounds now spent on a team littered with attacking talent.

They are still not nearly perfect, with question marks remaining in defence and in goal, but it is reasonable for City fans to now consider the rebuilding period over.

It is hard to imagine Ederson having a worse debut season in England than Claudio Bravo, and if John Stones can continue to progress and Vincent Kompany stays fit City will be better in the goals-against column.

The Premier League title favourites will get the 2017-18 campaign underway on the south coast when they visit the newly promoted Seagulls

That will be vital, of course, but it is hard not to see Guardiola's second year in charge being defined by the group of creative midfielders and forwards he has assembled.

David Silva and Yaya Toure are in line to continue to play prominent roles but the time has come for the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane to take over and live up to their sky-high potential.

They are bonafide stars in the making and if 2017-18 is their year, it may also be Manchester City's.

Oliver Platt