The Premier League title race took another twist on Wednesday as Manchester City dropped two points at home against Brighton & Hove Albion, drawing 1-1 in a match they desperately needed to win. The result leaves them five points behind Arsenal, extending their winless run to three matches.
Erling Haaland gave City the lead from the penalty spot just before halftime after a VAR review confirmed that Diego Gomez had fouled Jeremy Doku inside the penalty area. The goal was particularly meaningful for the Norwegian striker, representing not only his 150th goal in City colors but also his first in four matches, bringing his Premier League total for the season to 20.
The second half saw City push for a second goal that would have given them breathing room. Bernardo Silva thought he had provided it when he capitalized on a Brighton defensive lapse, but his shot rebounded off the post, keeping the score at 1-0. Tensions rose when a confrontation between goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Maxim De Cuyper led to both players receiving yellow cards from the referee.
Brighton’s equalizer arrived on the hour mark and was crafted by Kaoru Mitoma, who has been in excellent form. The winger collected a pass from the flank, positioned himself intelligently at the edge of the penalty area, and curled a low shot past Donnarumma into the far corner with precision.
After drawing level, Brighton took control of the match, slowing the pace and building their attacks patiently. They came desperately close to taking the lead when Mitoma’s creative play set up Gomez inside the box, but the midfielder couldn’t finish, with Donnarumma making the save. Mitoma’s attempt to convert the rebound from near the byline struck the post. City had one final chance to claim victory when Haaland broke clear in injury time, but Bart Verbruggen’s excellent goalkeeping ensured the points were shared.