21-year-old Phil Foden scored twice as Manchester City produced a devastating first-half display to beat Brighton and move up to second in the Premier League.

After a first-half blitz by Manchester City, the tone was set for a 4-1 win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton could have gone above City with a win, but simply could not cope with the away side’s sweeping attacks as they scored three goals in 31 minutes. The star of the match was 21-year-old Phil Foden, who was praised for his versatility.

“In the final third he can play up front, has the quality to move and be aggressive one on one and arrive in the box. He can play as a false nine, a winger, wide right or wide left,” said the City Manager Pep Guardiola after the game.

“He is a guy who is a midfield player with a big sense of the goal. He is still young and still has a margin to improve.”

City charged up the pitch before Jack Grealish flicked the ball into Foden’s path and the forward made no mistake for his third goal of the season, with visitors making it 2-0 after a devastatingly quick break from a Brighton attack.

Foden got his fourth of the season just moments later as Jesus’s shot deflected off him after Sanchez could only stab away Grealish’s low effort at the near post. The England international almost got his hat-trick just before half-time but Sanchez made a fine save to keep out a curling effort.

After the break, Brighton were better, and Ederson had to be alert to stop decent efforts from Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard.

In the closing stages, Ederson was finally beaten when Enock Mwepu was brought down inside the box and Alexis Mac Allister converted the penalty.

Last season Brighton came from two goals down to beat Guardiola’s side, but this time there was no fightback on the cards as City wrapped up the win when an unmarked Riyad Mahrez slipped in a goal in stoppage time as the visitors moved back to within two points of top of the table Chelsea.