Erling Haaland’s penalty goal proved insufficient to secure victory for Manchester City on Wednesday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium. The result marks City’s third consecutive league draw and sees them fall five points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
The Norwegian striker gave the hosts the lead four minutes before halftime, converting from the penalty spot after Jeremy Doku was fouled by Diego Gomez. Following a VAR review that confirmed the decision, Haaland stepped up 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 threatened to extend their advantage early in the second half when Bernardo Silva pounced on a Brighton 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 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 calmly slotted home to level the score and energise his team.
After equalising, Brighton took control and nearly claimed a remarkable victory when Mitoma’s effort from a tight angle struck the post. In the final moments, Haaland had a golden opportunity to secure all three points for City, but Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen produced a superb save to deny him and ensure his team earned a well-deserved point.