Brighton hold City to third straight draw as Arsenal title lead swells

Manchester City missed another opportunity to keep pace at the top of the Premier League after being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s side have now drawn three consecutive league matches, a run that continues to hand Arsenal a growing advantage before the leaders face Liverpool.

Advertisement

City took the lead through Erling Haaland but once again failed to turn control and chance creation into a decisive result.

With several senior defenders unavailable, Guardiola named a patched-up back line that looked vulnerable whenever Brighton broke through City’s press.

The hosts dominated possession early on but struggled to find fluency against a Brighton side content to sit deep and wait for openings.

Jeremy Doku was City’s most consistent outlet, driving at defenders and forcing Brighton into rushed challenges in wide areas.

That pressure eventually told when Doku was tripped in the box, allowing Haaland to step up and convert the resulting penalty just before the interval.

Advertisement

The goal settled City briefly, but it did not bring the control or authority Guardiola would have wanted.

Bernardo Silva went close to extending the lead early in the second half when he clipped the outside of the post from close range.

Haaland also had chances to make the game safe, including a header cleared off the line and a late opening inside the penalty area.

City’s inability to capitalise left the door open for Brighton, who grew in confidence as the game wore on.

That confidence was rewarded when Kaoru Mitoma was afforded too much space on the edge of the box and curled a composed finish past the goalkeeper.

Advertisement

The equaliser shifted the balance of the contest and exposed City’s growing fragility.

Brighton almost completed the turnaround soon after, with Mitoma again involved as Diego Gomez missed a close-range opportunity that should have resulted in a second goal.

Guardiola responded by sending on his remaining senior substitutes in search of fresh energy and a late winner.

City pushed forward with urgency but lacked clarity in the final third, often snatching at chances in promising positions.

Brighton remained dangerous on the counter and looked comfortable defending deeper as the match entered its final stages.

Advertisement

The final whistle was met with visible frustration from the home crowd as another lead slipped away.

This draw leaves City unable to apply pressure at the summit and reinforces the sense of momentum shifting elsewhere.

Arsenal, still with a game in hand, will view this result as another boost ahead of their meeting with Liverpool.

For City, the margin for error is shrinking quickly, and performances like this continue to undermine their pursuit of the title.