John Stones is set to return to the squad having missed the last five games with a hamstring injury. Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker are both out after surgery.

Manchester City stayed second with a comfortable 3-1 win over Brighton at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

City were looking to cut into Arsenal’s lead at the top while Brighton

were hoping to start to challenge the top four from their mid-table position.

It was the home side that took the lead when Erling Haaland scooted round the ‘keeper after collecting a long ball from Ederson,

and he scored a second when he converted a penalty won by Bernardo Silva.

In the second half, soon after the restart,

Brighton countered as Leandro Trossard hit a powerful shot towards the near post,

with Ederson failing to properly read the flight of the ball.

While Brighton had City nervous at times they had the game won on 77 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne picked out the top corner with a brilliant effort from outside the box.

The win moves City within a point of Arsenal while Brighton remain in eighth place.

The match looked won by the half-time interval,

as Erling Haaland latched onto a long pass from Ederson to round Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and tap home, before firing in a terrific penalty after Lewis Dunk’s foul on Bernardo Silva.

The visitors rallied in the second period though,

and after they had put Manchester City under pressure for a sustained period, Brighton pulled a goal back with Leandro Trossard’s powerful effort catching Ederson out at his near post.

The game looked to be in the balance at that point,

but then up stepped Kevin de Bruyne.

The Belgian international collected Bernardo Silva’s pass and sent a looping shot into the top corner, sealing the win for the Blues.