Brighton & Hove Albion showed tremendous character to fight back and claim a 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening. The result continues City’s disappointing recent form, with three consecutive league draws leaving them five points behind Arsenal, who top the Premier League table with 48 points.
The home side took the lead four minutes before the break when Erling Haaland scored from the penalty spot. The penalty was awarded after Jeremy Doku was fouled by Diego Gomez inside the area, with VAR confirming the referee’s decision. Haaland converted confidently to reach his 150th goal for Manchester City, ending a three-game scoring drought and taking his Premier League tally to 20 goals for the season.
City appeared poised to extend their lead early in the second half when Bernardo Silva capitalised on a Brighton error, but his effort cannoned off the post. The match saw tensions flare when City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper became involved in a confrontation, with both players shown yellow cards.
Brighton drew level in the 60th minute through Kaoru Mitoma, who received a pass from the flank and expertly guided a low shot into the bottom corner from just outside the box. The equaliser transformed the match, with Brighton growing in confidence and beginning to dictate the tempo as City struggled to respond.
The visitors dominated after equalising and came agonisingly close to claiming all three points when Mitoma’s angled effort from near the byline rattled the post. Late drama ensued when Haaland was presented with a clear chance to win the match, but Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen produced a vital save to deny the Norwegian striker and secure a valuable point for his team.