Haaland and Doku Spark City as They Host Brighton in a Premier League Showdown
7 January 2026
Match Preview and Lineups
Guardiola benches two of his star players.
The Spaniard announced the starting XI for Manchester City's clash with Brighton at the Etihad as the Premier League resumes.
City started with Haaland, Foden, and Doku, while Rodri and Ryan Cherki were among those on the bench. City aim to rebound and close the gap on Arsenal after taking four points from the last two matches.
Lineups
Manchester City lineup: Donnarumma, Núñez, Khasanov, Alaini, Aké, Nico, Silva, Rainders, Foden, Doku, Haaland.
Brighton lineup: Verbruggen, Dank, van Hecke, Giorgino, Hinshlowd, Mitoma, Cadijulo, Gomez, Aiyari, De Koiper, Cross.
City sit second with 42 points; Brighton are tenth with 28 points.
Punchline 1: If City's attack were a sniper, Haaland would be the bullseye and Doku the perfect follow-up shot — goal after goal, no misses.
Punchline 2: Watching City play is like hearing a perfectly timed joke: you see it coming, and you still can’t help smiling when the ball hits the back of the net.
