Premier League record falls as 2023-24 becomes most goal-laden 20-team season

Phil Foden scored twice as Manchester Metropolis leapfrogged Liverpool and stored the Premier League title race in their very own fingers by thrashing Brighton 4-0.

Foden moved onto 16 league targets for the season with a first-half brace on the Amex Stadium, seeing a free-kick deflect previous a wrongfooted Jason Steele earlier than stroking residence after some reckless play from the Seagulls.

De Bruyne had earlier given Metropolis the lead with what was his 68th Premier League aim however the first along with his head, as Pep Guardiola’s males made gentle of Erling Haaland’s injury-enforced absence.

Julian Alvarez added a fourth as Metropolis pulled two factors away from Liverpool and inside considered one of Arsenal with a sport in hand, understanding 5 additional wins will assure they keep their crown.  

Brighton, in the meantime, keep within the backside half with 44 factors, having been surpassed by Bournemouth on Wednesday.

Nathan Ake couldn’t hold his shot down when offered with the primary half-chance after a low-key begin, however Metropolis went forward with an excellent aim after 17 minutes.

Foden slipped Kyle Walker in on the proper flank, and De Bruyne watched the full-back’s cross all the best way earlier than sending an exquisite diving header into the top-right nook.

There was extra fortune about Metropolis’s second, which arrived simply 9 minutes later as Foden’s free-kick deflected in off Pascal Gross amid Brighton complaints about how Foden received the set-piece.

Brighton solely had themselves accountable when Foden obtained his second after 34 minutes, although. Valentin Barco conceded possession cheaply on the sting of his space, and Foden swept the free ball into the bottom-left nook.

Ederson denied Joao Pedro as Brighton improved within the second half, however Metropolis had additional daylight simply after the hour mark, Walker breaking in behind and beating Steele to a free ball, with Alvarez available to show residence.

Brighton had been enraged when Josko Gvardiol prevented conceding a penalty for a careless problem on Pedro, who skewed extensive late on as Metropolis – who went near a fifth by Jeremy Doku late on and face struggling Nottingham Forest subsequent – claimed a press release win.

Foden’s star nonetheless rising

Foden has emerged because the favorite to be topped Premier League Participant of the Season, and he has gone up a gear within the run-in, additionally scoring a hat-trick on his final league look when Metropolis thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 earlier this month.

He was in imperious type once more on Thursday, even when Brighton’s followers weren’t pleased with the best way he went down for the free-kick that finally resulted in his first aim.

That strike was Foden’s fiftieth within the Premier League, making him simply the third participant to attain 50 top-flight targets underneath Guardiola whereas aged 23 or youthful, after Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

It’s no surprise Brighton’s followers are sick of the sight of the England man; he has eight targets in his final eight Premier League appearances towards the Seagulls, greater than he has scored towards some other membership within the competitors.

Seagulls’ wings clipped

Hampered by accidents to the likes of Pervis Estupinan, Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson, Brighton have seen their European hopes falter in current weeks and now seem like limping to the ending line.

Roberto De Zerbi’s workforce are winless of their final 5 Premier League video games (two attracts, three defeats) and sit six factors adrift of the highest seven with matches towards Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester United to come back.

Brighton have even seen their provide of targets dry up, scoring simply 4 occasions in eight league matches since thrashing Sheffield United 5-0 in February.