Manchester City’s attacking prowess failed to deliver victory on Wednesday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium. The result marks the third consecutive Premier League match in which City have drawn and sees them fall five points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race.
Erling Haaland gave City the lead from the penalty spot four minutes before halftime, after Jeremy Doku was brought down by Diego Gomez inside the area. Following a VAR review that confirmed the decision, Haaland converted confidently to score his 150th goal for Manchester City and his 20th in the Premier League this season, ending a three-match scoring drought.
City came close to doubling their lead early in the second half when Bernardo Silva capitalised on a Brighton defensive error, but his shot cannoned off the woodwork. The match became heated when goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Maxim De Cuyper became involved in a confrontation, with both players shown yellow cards.
Brighton equalised in the 60th minute through Kaoru Mitoma, who received a pass from the flank and expertly guided a low shot into the far corner from the edge of the box. The goal completely changed the dynamics of the match, with Brighton growing in confidence and beginning to dictate proceedings.
After equalising, Brighton took control and nearly claimed all three points when Mitoma’s angled shot from near the byline struck the post. In the closing stages, Haaland had a clear opportunity to secure victory for City, finding himself one-on-one with Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, but the Dutch shot-stopper produced a crucial save to deny him and preserve the draw, highlighting City’s attacking inefficiency.