Sergio Aguero on target as City beat Brighton 2-0 in EPL first game

Sergio Aguero was on target for Manchester City as they managed a 2-0 win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium

Sergio Aguero on target as City beat Brighton 2-0 in EPL first game

Sergio Aguero was on target to breakdown the resilient Brighton before Lewis Dunk scores own goal to hand Pep Guardiola a winning start to the season.

Pep Guardiola started both Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus as City went for two up top and five at the back.

Jesus thought he had taken the lead after latching on to a ball over the top but it was deemed handball. But it was Aguero who opened the scoring after he lashed home with just a third of the game to go, before his Brazilian strike partner challenged for a header but Lewis Dunk got the final touch to make it 2-0

It ended as you anticipated. The team whose squad was worth £596 million and are effectively the public relations arm of an energy-rich Arab state eventually found their way past the club who have spent 34 painful years returning to this level having almost dropped off the Football League radar 20 years ago and whose squad was worth £37.5m..

Twenty years after facing extinction and following a 34-year absence from the top flight, Brighton are a Premier League club. The Seagulls had more recent history with City, knocking them out of the League Cup on penalties at the Withdean Stadium.

That was in September 2008, in the early days of City's Abu Dhabi ownership, which bank-rolled the signing of five players for £200 million this summer.

Guardiola, who hopes the lavish expenditure will be a one off, fielded three of his new boys from the start. Full-backs Kyle Walker and Danilo played as wing-backs and Ederson was a virtual spectator in goal for much of the contest.

Brighton, meanwhile, started £10m Dutch midfielder Davy Propper -- their club record signing until the deal to capture Colombian Jose Izquierdo from Club Brugge is completed.

City, as expected, dominated possession and hemmed Brighton into their own half. Yet it took until the 17th minute for the visitors' first strike on goal, when Kevin De Bruyne's free-kick was hit straight at Ryan, Albion's new goalkeeper.

City had the ball in Brighton's net after 27 minutes, but it was disallowed. Gabriel Jesus bundled in following David Silva's lofted pass, but replays showed the ball went in off his right hand. The Brazilian was booked as he received treatment following a clash with Ryan.