SO is Phil Foden now Manchester City’s finest footballer or does Kevin De Bruyne remain the master?

Sorcerer or apprentice? Take your pick.

Manchester City ran riot over Brighton

The Seagulls were no match for the title challengers

Either way, Pep Guardiola couldn’t give a stuff as his supernatural duo tormented Brighton and fired City into an unassailable three-goal lead inside 34 minutes.

De Bruyne opened the scoring with a masterpiece header – the first headed goal he has ever managed in the Premier League – and Foden swiftly followed with a brace before a second-half strike from Julian Alvarez.

City are a point behind Arsenal with a game in hand and while they still have three away matches among their remaining five league fixtures, it was difficult to imagine them dropping any more points while watching this.

Despite Guardiola’s whining about the fixture list, City had former Footballer of the Year Ruben Dias, England’s best defender John Stones and £100million Jack Grealish among his subs.

Meanwhile Brighton were decimated by injuries and had won just once in their previous eight league matches.

If there really are a bunch of people called ‘The Purists’ then they’d have clubbed together and bought a hospitality box for this fixture between England’s two most stylistically-lauded teams.

For the opening quarter of an hour it was chess on grass – Guardiola prowling his technical area, stroking his chin as Brighton played high-wire passes around their own penalty area.

Then Foden delivered a free-kick from the left and an unmarked Nathan Ake failed to control his shot at the far post.

No matter, within a couple of minutes, City were ahead – Foden fed Kyle Walker whose airbound cut-back was met by De Bruyne with the sort of flying long-range header a performing seal might make. Give the lad a mackerel.

This was his 255th appearance in the competition and the first time he’s scored with his bonce.

Kevin De Bruyne scored a stunning diving header to open the scoring

Suddenly, Brighton were being picked apart and Alvarez drove wide across goal before Foden’s darting run and tumble earned a controversial free-kick on the edge of the box.

Foden ignored chants of ‘cheat!’ and drilled his shot through a hole in the wall, Manuel Akanji ducking to make space, and the ball cannoned in off the back of Pascal Gross.

Phil Foden bagged himself two goals

It was the England man’s 23rd goal of the season, and the 24th arrived soon after.

This was where Brighton’s tightrope routine ended up with them falling to earth without a safety net.

As they played triangles in their own box, poor young Barco was dispossessed by Bernardo Silva, allowing Foden a comfy first-time finish.

It was just done after 35 minutes and little wonder that Guardiola always praises Brighton so highly, as they allow his team to score goals such as that one.

Straight after half-time Brighton had a decent penalty shout turned down when Rodri dragged down Gross.

The fourth showed De Zerbi the merits of mixing it up – a punt from Ederson sent Walker charging through on goal and he skinned Barco before beating keeper Jason Steele to the loose ball and allowing Alvarez to stab home.

Julian Alvarez added the cherry on top of City’s win

Brighton certainly should have had a penalty soon after when Joao Pedro’s barnstorming ended with Josko Gvardiol shoving him in the back.

Reference Jarred Gillett, who hails from Australia, seemed to be following Australian laws. Not that it would have changed the result in the slightest.

Midway through the second half, Grealish and Matheus Nunes replaced De Bruyne and Foden, who had been substituted earlier.

Now, City travels to Nottingham Forest, where they appear to be more concerned with determining the VAR’s loyalty than the merits of the opposition.

It is hard to see them making a mistake at the City Ground or anywhere else.