City Title Hopes Falter After Frustrating Draw at Brighton

Manchester City’s Premier League title defense suffered a major setback on Wednesday as a 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion left them five points behind leaders Arsenal. The result extends City’s winless streak to three matches, handing the momentum to an Arsenal side that prepares to face Liverpool on Thursday. Despite the draw, the match saw a personal milestone for Erling Haaland, who converted a 41st-minute penalty following a VAR-confirmed foul on Jeremy Doku. The goal marked Haaland’s 150th for the club and his 20th of the season, ending a brief three-game scoring drought.
The champions had a golden opportunity to double their lead shortly after halftime when Bernardo Silva intercepted a loose pass, but his strike rattled the woodwork. The match grew increasingly tense, punctuated by a heated confrontation between goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper, which resulted in bookings for both. Brighton eventually found their breakthrough in the 60th minute when Kaoru Mitoma expertly guided a low shot into the corner. The Seagulls dominated the closing stages, hitting the post through Mitoma, while City’s late hope for a winner was extinguished by a superb Bart Verbruggen save against Haaland.