MY ACCOUNT
The Premier League title race is set to go right down to the wire with Manchester City currently in the box seat to land a fourth title in five seasons.
Pep Guardiola’s men kept their noses in front of nearest rivals Liverpool thanks to a 2-2 draw with Jurgen Klopp’s side in their last league outing.
Four of the Citizens’ last six games are on home soil and that could yet prove significant when it comes to the battle to be crowned champions.
Brighton, Watford, Newcastle and Aston Villa are the four sides still facing a trip to the Etihad in the coming weeks.
No place like home
Home comforts have been key for City.
They have lost just two of their 15 league matches on their own turf this season, with two defeats coming against Crystal Palace last October and Tottenham in February.
It is also not a surprise that Guardiola’s squad have scored the most home goals this campaign. They have netted 42 times at the Etihad to date, with an impressive 24 of those strikes coming in their last seven games at the ground.
But even more impressive is their defensive record, keeping nine clean sheets from a possible 15 and conceding just 12 league goals since the start of the season.
City’s overall defensive stats are the best in the division, conceding just 20 in 31 Premier League matches, with Ederson having to make just 54 saves this term — the lowest total for any regular starter in the top flight.
Seagulls and Hornets seek first Etihad win
The ground previously known as the City of Manchester Stadium started hosting City games in 2003 and their next two opponents — Brighton and Watford — are still looking for their first wins there.
Graham Potter’s men have lost on their last five visits to City in all competitions, including a narrow 1-0 defeat last term thanks to a first-half winner from Phil Foden.
Brighton, fresh from back-to-back away wins in North London, have failed to score in their last four trips to the Etihad heading into tonight’s clash.
Then on Saturday it will be the turn of Watford, who look destined for relegation after losing three on the spin, to attempt to reverse the form book.
Their record there is enough to make any Hornets fan shudder.
They lost 8-0 on their last visit to City in September 2019 — with Bernardo Silva bagging a hat-trick — which followed on from a brutal 6-0 defeat in the FA Cup four years earlier.
In fact, Watford have conceded 31 goals in their last nine trips to the Citizens and have a points-per-game tally of just 0.94 on the road this term.
