Man City title bid stutters again as Brighton earn deserved Etihad draw | OneFootball

Man City held again as Brighton expose growing cracks

Erling Haaland reached another landmark, his 150th goal for Manchester City, yet the wider picture at the Etihad told a far more troubling story for Pep Guardiola. A third successive Premier League draw, this time against a vibrant Brighton side, left Man City’s title challenge wobbling at a critical point in the season.

The 1-1 draw followed dropped points against Sunderland and Chelsea, a run that has drained momentum and handed control to Arsenal. What looked like a manageable two point gap at the turn of the year could stretch to eight if Mikel Arteta’s side overcome Liverpool. For Man City, the sense of inevitability that has defined recent seasons is fading fast.

Brighton bravery troubles champions

Brighton arrived with intent and quickly identified vulnerability in a patched-up City defence. The Seagulls should have punished that early on, as a powerful header clawed away by Gianluigi Donnarumma before the rebound was squandered. Georginio Rutter and Ferdi Kadioglu also found space, only to be denied by poor finishing or decisive last-ditch defending, notably from Abdukodir Khusanov.

The visitors’ movement and bravery unsettled City, with Rutter again threatening before being halted by another vital intervention. Brighton were creating chances most teams rarely enjoy at the Etihad, yet their failure to capitalise proved costly.

Haaland landmark amid frustration

City eventually made pressure count just before the break. Jeremy Doku was brought down by Diego Gomez, with the referee awarding the penalty after consulting the pitchside monitor. Haaland converted calmly, registering the Premier League’s 35,000th goal and briefly restoring control.

The hosts pushed for a second, Bernardo Silva clipping the post, while Haaland went close on several occasions after the interval. But the cutting edge deserted them again, a familiar theme in recent weeks.

Stalemate deepens title concerns

Brighton’s reward arrived through Kaoru Mitoma, who guided a fine finish from the edge of the area beyond Donnarumma. There were further chances, including an extraordinary miss from Gomez from close range, leaving both sides to reflect on what might have been.

Injuries to Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones forced Guardiola into fielding an inexperienced pairing at the back, including debutant Max Alleyne. The flat atmosphere mirrored the performance, and frustration was evident at full time.

For Man City, Haaland’s milestone felt overshadowed by another missed opportunity. For Brighton, it was a night of encouragement tinged with regret.