Manchester City 3-1 Brighton - Match Recap

Manchester City broke another three Premier League records as Yaya Toure ended his City career with a 3-1 win over Brighton.

Danilo gave the blues the lead in the fifteenth minute, which equalled the highest number of goals scored by a Premier League side in one season. Leonardo Ulloa equalised just four minutes later as Brighton threatened to spoil Yaya’s leaving party.

However Silva restored City’s lead on 34 minutes, with Leroy Sane providing his second assist of the night. Silva’s goal was City’s 104^th in the Premier League. And the blues continued to set records when Fernandinho capped off the win on 72 minutes, with Sane again the provider.

The win also took the blues to 97 points, the highest ever total by a Premier League side, and they also surpassed Chelsea’s highest number of wins in one season; 31 with still another game to play. And it seemed like fate that the blues finally broke the records against the very team where it all started. No one could have imagined that City’s 2-0 win at Brighton on the opening day in August would spark such a run, which saw the blues win all but two games before the end of the year.

And a win at relegation threatened Southampton in Sunday’s final game will see City pass another more record – the most away wins in the Premier League stands at 15, held by both Chelsea and City. And should United fail to win one of their final games, the blues could well smash the points margin, currently held at 18.

But records aside, the night belonged to Yaya Toure, who made his final appearance for the blue after eight seasons at the club. The club replaced the midfielder’s name with ‘Legend’ on the teamsheet and at full-time, Yaya’s brother and former City defender Kolo, presented him with a commemorative shirt. Fittingly, he entered the tune of No Limits by 2 Unlimited.

Since signing from Barcelona, Toure has won three Premier League titles, three League Cups and one FA Cup. The Ivorian scored the winners in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final and final as the blues lifted their first major trophy since 1976. His two goals at Newcastle in 2012 put City on the brink of their first league title since 1968 and his stunning equaliser against Sunderland in the League Cup final of 2014, set the blues on the comeback trail to beat the Black Cats 3-1 and lift the trophy.

Toure may have played his last game for City, but he leaves the club in very good hands. With Raheem Sterling enjoying his best ever season under Guardiola and Leroy Sane flourishing with a hat-trick of assists tonight, the blues future is looking very good indeed. However, there will never be any doubt about Toure’s legendary status.

Thank you Yaya for all the memories and we wish you the best of luck on the next stage of your career.