Manchester City moved back into first place thanks to a straightforward 3-0 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night.
The victory against Graham Potter’s men sees City hold a one-point advantage over Liverpool with each side having just six games left to play.
Despite that, it was a first half short on chances, with Brighton sitting deep and limiting the spaces for City to play in.
The hosts had chances via a Riyad Mahrez effort which was sliced wide, while Joao Cancelo and Kevin De Bruyne fired off target, before Ilkay Gundogan’s shot was blocked en route to goal by Lewis Dunk.
The sole shot on target of the first half came when Bernardo Silva curled an effort towards the corner, but Robert Sanchez got a good hand to the ball and palmed it wide.
Brighton also scrambled to keep Mahrez out in the opening period, when Sanchez’s kick out was intercepted by the Algerian and it took a quick reaction from Moises Caicedo to sprint back and cut out a strike on an almost open goal.
But after the break City took control with Mahrez netting the opener after 53 minutes, when his effort took a nick of Dunk and ended up in the back of the Brighton goal, following an excellent run from De Bruyne.
Cancelo, Rodri and Stones all had shots blocked before De Bruyne’s effort was held by Sanchez.
Danny Welbeck had gone close with a header, but it was a rare opening for the Seagulls. City were well in control at this stage and Phil Foden doubled the advantage soon after, again via a deflected strike that gave Sanchez no hope.
In the 82nd minute Bernardo Silva made it 3-0 with a brilliantly placed a shot into the corner, having had the ball flicked into his path via an exquisite De Bruyne pass. It proved to be the last chance of note as City came away with a well-deserved three points.
Here’s how we rated the players…
1. Ederson- 6
Had little to do in the first half and did well to hold Welbeck’s header after the break, in what was a rare Brighton attack.
2. Joao Cancelo- 7
Started at right-back, switched to the left and back to his original position. The Portugal defender wasn’t his usually creative self, but his best moments came when playing from the left. Cancelo had a few shots from distance that didn’t test Sanchez.
3. John Stones- 7 (off 77)
Faced a physical battle with Welbeck and dealt well with it. Stones moved to right-back in the second half and looked comfortable advancing down the line, but he seemed to pick up a knock in the latter stages and was replaced.
4. Aymeric Laporte- 7
Drove forward with the ball from the back on several occasions and was good in possession.