Erling Haaland’s milestone 150th goal for Manchester City proved insufficient as the champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday. The result extends City’s winless streak in the Premier League to three matches and leaves them five points behind Arsenal.
The Norwegian striker reached his landmark from the penalty spot four minutes before halftime, converting after Jeremy Doku was fouled by Diego Gomez inside the box. VAR confirmed the referee’s decision to award the penalty, and Haaland stepped up to score his first goal in four matches. The strike also took him to 20 Premier League goals for the current season.
City appeared determined to build on their advantage after the break, with Bernardo Silva almost doubling the lead when he intercepted a Brighton error. However, his shot rebounded off the post, keeping Brighton within touching distance. The match’s temperature rose when a confrontation erupted between City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper, with both players receiving yellow cards.
Brighton restored parity in the 60th minute through Kaoru Mitoma, who produced a finish of excellent quality. The Japanese international collected a pass from the flank, positioned himself at the edge of the box, and guided a precise low shot into the far corner, beating Donnarumma convincingly.
The visitors assumed control after equalizing, slowing the game’s pace and building attacks carefully. They came desperately close to taking the lead when Mitoma’s excellent work created a chance for Gomez inside the penalty area, but the midfielder’s effort was saved by Donnarumma. Mitoma’s rebound attempt from near the byline struck the woodwork. City’s final opportunity fell to Haaland in injury time when he broke through Brighton’s defense, but Verbruggen’s outstanding save denied the striker and secured a valuable point for the visitors.
