Haaland To Lead The Line | 4-2-3-1 Manchester City Predicted Lineup Vs Brighton

Manchester City will host Brighton and Hove Albion in a crucial Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium this Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca expected to deploy a strong 4-2-3-1 formation spearheaded by star striker Erling Haaland. The fixture follows a recent EFL Cup meeting between the two clubs.

The Path to the Etihad and Predicted Setup

The Mancunian club heads into the weekend fixture carrying momentum. They recently earned a hard-fought penalty shootout win over the Seagulls in the Carabao Cup fourth round on October 28, 2026, at the Etihad Stadium, where Jeremy Doku slotted home a crucial spot-kick to help secure the result.

🚨ERLING HAALAND DANCING AFTER MANCHESTER CITY ELIMINATED BRIGHTON ❤️‼️ pic.twitter.com/vKFpUUI2AO
— https://x.com/OBIDdyrn/status/2115584764723789864

Building on that cup encounter, Maresca will set his men up in a 4-2-3-1 shape. Between the sticks, Gianluigi Donnarumma returns to feature in goal after being rested during the midweek cup tie. The central defensive partnership sees Ruben Dias resume his duties alongside Marc Guehi, tasked with keeping things solid at the back across all 90 minutes. On the flanks, Nico O’Reilly is slated to start at left-back, while Abdukodir Khusanov aims to impress on the opposite side as the right-back. Both fullbacks are expected to push forward and join the attack whenever the opportunity arises, with Vitor Reis and Rico Lewis providing defensive cover from the bench.

Midfield Control and Attacking Dynamics

Establishing control in the middle of the pitch falls to Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez. Operating as the holding midfielders for the Mancunian giants, their primary focus will be breaking up opposition play and dictating the tempo against Brighton. Just ahead of them, a gifted trio of Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, and Iliman Ndiaye will slot into Maresca’s attacking midfield line. Their ability to link up play in and around the Brighton penalty area will likely dictate whether City can break down the Seagulls’ defense.

Meanwhile, options remain plentiful among the substitutes. Mateo Kovacic, Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Phil Foden find themselves on the bench, ready to make an impact if called upon in the second half.

Up top, Erling Haaland will lead the line. Eager to add to his goal tally this Saturday, the Norwegian forward remains the focal point of Maresca’s attacking system. Allan rounds out the bench options as an attacking reinforcement who could enter the fray in the latter stages should the team require a late shift in momentum.