Manchester City’s pursuit of the Premier League title suffered another setback on Wednesday as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion. The result extends City’s winless run to three consecutive draws in the league, leaving them five points behind Arsenal, who currently top the table with 48 points compared to City’s 43.
Erling Haaland gave the hosts the lead from the penalty spot four minutes before halftime, after a VAR review confirmed that Jeremy Doku had been fouled by Diego Gomez inside the box. The goal was particularly significant for the Norwegian striker, as it marked his 150th for Manchester City and ended a three-match scoring drought, taking his tally to 20 Premier League goals this season.
The second half began with City pushing for a second goal, and they nearly found it when Bernardo Silva seized upon a Brighton error, only to see his shot crash against the post. The match became heated when City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper were involved in an altercation, with both players shown yellow cards.
Brighton equalised at the hour mark through the impressive Kaoru Mitoma, who received a pass from the wing and calmly slotted home from the edge of the area. The goal shifted the momentum entirely in Brighton’s favour, as they began to control the tempo and create dangerous opportunities.
The visitors nearly completed a remarkable comeback when Mitoma found Gomez in a promising position, but the shot was saved, and Mitoma’s rebound struck the post. In the final moments, Haaland had a clear chance to win the match for City, but Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen produced a superb save to deny him and secure a well-deserved point for his team.