Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion played out a competitive 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, with both sides having opportunities to claim all three points. The result continues City’s winless run of three consecutive Premier League draws and leaves them five points behind leaders Arsenal.
The hosts took the lead four minutes before halftime when Erling Haaland converted from the penalty spot after Jeremy Doku was fouled by Diego Gomez. The decision was confirmed by VAR, and Haaland confidently scored his 150th goal for Manchester City and his 20th in the Premier League this season, ending a three-match goal drought.
City nearly doubled their advantage early in the second half when Bernardo Silva pounced on a Brighton error, but his shot rebounded off the post. The match saw tensions rise when goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Maxim De Cuyper clashed, with both receiving yellow cards for their involvement in the confrontation.
Brighton equalised on the hour mark through Kaoru Mitoma, who demonstrated excellent technique to guide a low shot into the bottom corner from just outside the box. The Japanese winger received a pass from the flank and took his time to compose himself before beating Donnarumma with a well-placed finish.
The visitors dominated after equalising and came agonisingly close to securing all three points when Mitoma’s angled effort from near the byline struck the post following a goal-mouth scramble. In the dying minutes, Haaland had a clear chance to win the match for City, but Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen produced a magnificent save to deny him and ensure both teams shared the points.