Manchester City 2 – 2 Brighton & Hove Albion
The Premier League champions failed to overcome the damage done in their first encounter with Brighton earlier this season.
Since the beginning of February, Manchester City’s performances have been inconsistent, and this trend continued in their latest match. Despite two comeback attempts, Brighton & Hove Albion managed to earn a valuable point from their trip to the Etihad.
City had hoped to return to winning ways on Saturday but found themselves under intense pressure in the second half. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Erling Haaland put City ahead early in the match, but Brighton quickly responded through Pervis Estupiñán. A goal from Omar Marmoush gave City the lead again, but they were undone by an own goal at the start of the second half.
In November and December, City suffered four consecutive league defeats, including a 2-1 loss to Brighton. Once again, they were unable to rectify that result. Now, with 48 points from 29 matches, City is in 5th place, just one point ahead of 6th-placed Newcastle United, who have played one fewer game. Chelsea, with 49 points, occupies 4th place, also with one game in hand.
The match began with a tense opening, where City almost conceded in the first five minutes. However, a foul was given, and City was awarded a penalty. Haaland converted the spot-kick to give City the lead, marking his 21st goal in the Premier League this season, six behind Mohamed Salah at the top.
Brighton quickly equalized in the 15th minute with a stunning free-kick from Estupiñán, which left City’s goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega, helpless.
In the 39th minute, City regained the lead with a goal from Marmoush, following a quick pass from Ilkay Gündoğan. But Brighton responded just after halftime, equalizing in the 48th minute when a shot from Jack Hinchlewood deflected off City defender Abdulkodir Kuzanov and into the net.
The second half saw Brighton pressurizing City with some excellent counter-attacks. In the 82nd minute, Carlos Baleba had a chance to put Brighton ahead but fired over the bar from a promising position.
Despite a few counter-attacks, City struggled to create opportunities in the second half and were unable to secure the win.
