FULL TIME: Brighton 0 – 4 Manchester City

Manchester City ensured they responded to Arsenal in the Premier League title race with a dominant 4-0 victory at Brighton.

The Gunners have won twice since the champions beat Luton earlier this month to reclaim top spot and briefly opened up a four-point gap.

Still, a fine Kevin De Bruyne header set City on their way to cutting that down to just one point while also boasting a game in hand.

Phil Foden’s excellent season continued with a brace. The first of his goals came from a deflected free-kick sprung from a foul he won himself just outside the box before the England international punished the hosts for their sloppy passing in their own penalty area by rolling in a quick-fire third.

Well, we told you Manchester City are masters of the run-in, didn’t we?

A first headed Premier League goal for Kevin De Bruyne and two more for Phil Foden gave City a 3-0 lead by half time at Brighton & Hove Albion and they never looked back. Julian Alvarez added a fourth in the 62nd minute after Kyle Walker found himself in plenty of the space on the right and Brighton saw a penalty appeal waved away.

After Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat at Everton on Wednesday, City moved within a point of leaders Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table — and still have a game in hand, albeit an inferior goal difference.