Manchester City 1-0 Brighton: Player ratings as Phil Foden strike proves decisive

Manchester City recorded their seventh win on the bounce with a 1-0 victory over Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Phil Foden's goal on the stroke of half time proved decisive, the City youngster drifting past Adam Webster with a fabulous first touch and passing the ball into the corner of the net.

Raheem Sterling blazed a spot kick over in stoppage time after Kevin De Bruyne had been brought down by Robert Sanchez - the only mistake the Seagulls goalkeeper made all game, having thwarted City with a number of fine saves.

Let's get into some player ratings.

Manchester City Ratings

1. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Ederson (GK) - 6/10 - Held onto Propper effort from range but otherwise hardly had a save to make.

Oleksandr Zinchenko - 5/10 - Struggled a little bit against the lively Tau, who got the better of him on a couple of occasions.

Ruben Dias - 7/10 - Calm, assured and composed. Mopped up at the back intelligently and hardly gave the ball away.

John Stones - 7/10 - Another quietly assured performance from Stones, who hardly put a foot wrong.

Joao Cancelo - 7/10 - Picked out Mahrez with a fantastic pass in behind from which the City forward should have scored, and could have got on the scoresheet himself but was denied by Sanchez.

2. Midfielders

Ilkay Gundogan (CM) - 6/10 - Kept out from close range by a strong Sanchez hand in the second half.

Rodri (CM) - 6/10 - Typically tidy on the ball as City largely dominated possession.

Kevin De Bruyne (CM) - 7/10 - Picked out Mahrez with a sumptuous ball in behind in the first half, and was denied three times by three good Sanchez saves. Brought down by Sanchez in stoppage time to win City's spot kick.

3. Forwards

Riyad Mahrez (RW) - 6/10 - Fired a really good one-on-one opportunity narrowly wide in the second half having timed his run in behind to perfection.

Bernardo Silva (ST) - 7/10 - Operating in the false nine role, rattled the crossbar in the second half after a clever piece of improvisation in the Brighton box to work room for the shot.

Phil Foden (LW) - 8/10 - Gave City the lead on the stroke of half time with a tremendous touch to create the opening and low finish into the bottom right corner.

4. Substitutes

Gabriel Jesus - 6/10

Raheem Sterling - 5/10 - Blazed a spot kick over in stoppage time.

Brighton Ratings

5. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Robert Sanchez (GK) - 7/10 - Made a selection of good saves to keep out De Bruyne, Cancelo and Gundogan and keep Brighton in the contest. Conceded a penalty at the death by bringing down De Bruyne.

Adam Webster (CB) - 6/10 - Did well to block a goal bound De Bruyne effort in the first half. Was sold by Foden's first touch in the build up to City's opener, affording the England international a wealth of room in the box for him to fire home.

Lewis Dunk (CB) - 6/10 - Having been solid all game, was at fault for gifting City a penalty at the death with a weak header back to Sanchez.

Dan Burn (CB) - 6/10 - Typified the Brighton performance with a rugged, robust defensive shift.

6. Midfielders & Wingbacks

Joel Veltman (RWB) - 5/10 - Lost Foden in the build up to City's opener, the England international getting the wrong side of him with a sharp turn of pace.

Ben White (CM) - 6/10 - Operating in a slightly less familiar central midfield role, was his usual composed self and broke up play effectively.

Davy Propper (CM) - 5/10 - Hit a sweetly struck effort from the edge of the area in the second half - but it was straight at Ederson.

Bernardo (LWB) - 6/10 - Made a vital interception to cut out a first half De Bruyne cross and prevent a Mahrez tap in.

7. Forwards

Percy Tau (FW) - 6/10 - Demonstrated a great turn of pace to tear away from Zinchenko in the first half and looked thoroughly lively whenever in possession.

Leandro Trossard (ST) - 5/10 - Had Brighton's best chance of the first half, but bent his effort from inside the box just wide.

Alexis Mac Allister (FW) - 6/10 - Sent Trossard away with a fabulous volleyed pass in the first half, and was often the central creative force for any promising openings carved out by Brighton.

8. Substitutes

Solly March - 6/10

Neal Maupay - 5/10

Reda Jousef Khadra - N/A