Mahrez breaks tension as Manchester City beat Brighton and return to summit

Manchester City are leaders again, wresting the top berth back from Liverpool, who enjoyed 24 hours at the top before Pep Guardiola’s men showed the relentlessness required in what is now a six-match shoot-out for the title. City diced with entering squeaky posterior time by not scoring until the 53rd minute.

Then, Riyad Mahrez bundled home and the champions could relax. Before nerves had begun to jangle, supporters counting each failed attack against a clock that was ticking ever closer to two dropped points, at least. Not now. And if City beat Watford here on Saturday Liverpool will have to stew overnight on a four-point deficit before their Merseyside derby with Everton at Anfield.

A Mahrez shot featured as City settled quickly into their percussive pass-and-move rhythms. Solly March felled a flying João Cancelo and Kevin De Bruyne floated the free-kick on to Nathan Aké’s head at the far post but Brighton escaped.

After being an unused substitute in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final loss to Liverpool, the big plus for City was De Bruyne’s inclusion against visitors who arrived in fine form after consecutive wins over Arsenal and Spurs.

Graham Potter could be proud of these results: they took his side 15 points clear of the drop zone and made his team all but mathematically safe. He was less enamoured with how Marc Cucurella hoofed the ball straight out at one point, but the manager still offered encouragement to the left of his three centre-backs.

He would feel only chagrin, however, when a Robert Sánchez chip went across the No 1’s goal straight to a lurking Mahrez as City pressed in numbers. The Algerian drew his foot back to shoot but a Moisés Caicedo slide tackle expertly took the ball and not the man in a situation in