Premier League Gameweek 21
Man City
Jan 7, 2026 7.30pm
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HT : 0 0
FT
Brighton

Man City 1-1 Brighton: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Pep Guardiola’s side suffer another Premier League title blow

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Haaland nets landmark goal, but Man City suffer title blow after Brighton draw
© Imago / Sportimage

Erling Haaland scored his 150th goal for Manchester City and the 35,000th Premier League goal on Wednesday night, but Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium.

The Citizens came up against a confident and well-organised Seagulls outfit who forced goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma into making two important saves early in the first half, with the Italian keeping out a downward Pascal Gross header and a tame effort from Ferdi Kadioglu after he was played through on goal.

Guardiola’s men gradually grew into a game that became niggly and feisty at times, both on the pitch and in the dugout, but the key moment in the opening 45 was when Haaland converted from the penalty spot after a VAR intervention resulted in Diego Gomez being penalised for a foul on Jeremy Doku.

Man City made a stronger start to the second half and Brighton did not carry the same threat that they had in the first half, but out of nothing, Kaoru Mitoma restored parity with a clinical finish stroked into the bottom corner on the hour mark.

Mitoma came close to putting the visitors in front when he poked a shot against the post from a very tight angle, while the hosts created big chances of their own in the closing stages, with Haaland somehow missing from around eight yards out before substitute Rayan Cherki placed another golden opportunity over.

City huffed and puffed but could now blow the resilient Brighton house down and had to settle for a frustrating draw, leaving them second in the Premier League table and five points behind leaders Arsenal, who play host to reigning champions Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.

As for Brighton, a respectable draw for them at the Etihad leaves them sitting 11th in the table and just five points behind the top four with 17 games remaining.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Oliver Thomas live from the Etihad Stadium

© Imago / Sportimage

Man City are still searching for their first win in 2026 as they have kick-started the New Year with three successive draws - in Guardiola’s managerial career, only in April 2017 and December 2023 has he ever drawn three consecutive league matches.

Frustration is the overriding emotion for the Citizens coming away from this game, as they will be rueing the plethora of golden chances missed in the second half in a game that they were desperate to win to boost their title hopes.

Instead, City are now facing the prospect of slipping eight points behind Arsenal if they beat Liverpool, a healthy gap that would give the Gunners a huge confidence boost in their quest to win their first title in more than two decades.

Man City can take positives from the performances of centre-back duo Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne - the latter impressed on his senior debut in the absence of injured pair Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias - but Citizens supporters will certainly feel deflated after their latest setback at the Etihad.

As for Brighton, they are becoming a bogey team for Man City, as they are now unbeaten in their last four meetings, drawing their last two visits to the Etihad.

The Seagulls did not end 2025 on a positive note, but four points picked up from their last two league games at the start of this year will have lifted their spirits and keeps them in contention to secure European qualification this season.

MAN CITY VS. BRIGHTON HIGHLIGHTS

Erling Haaland goal vs. Brighton (41st min, Man City 1-0 Brighton)

Jeremy Doku sprints into the penalty box, chops back and ends up on the deck following a challenge from Diego Gomez. Referee Thomas Bramall initially waves away the incident, but following a VAR intervention, he eventually decides to award a penalty after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Haaland steps up and sends Bart Verbruggen the wrong way, ending his three-game goal drought by netting his 150th goal for Man City in all competitions.

Kaoru Mitoma goal vs. Man City (60th min, Man City 1-1 Brighton)

Mitoma equalises for Brighton!

Out of nothing, Mitoma is fizzed a pass from Yasin Ayari on the edge of the penalty area and the Japanese winger strokes a clinical strike into the bottom corner.

MAN OF THE MATCH - MAX ALLEYNE

© Imago / Sportimage

The likes of Mitoma, Doku and Khusanov deserve a special mention, but considering that Max Alleyne was thrown into the starting lineup for his first senior appearance for Man City and produced a impressive performance, he takes our Man of the Match prize this evening.

At no point did the 20-year-old - recalled from his loan spell at Championship side Watford just a few days ago - look out of his depth at the heart of City's backline, winning more duels (five) and completing more take-ons (three) than any other Man City player in the first half alone. Plenty of plaudits deserve to go his way.

MAN CITY VS. BRIGHTON MATCH STATS

Possession: Man City 59% - 41% Brighton

Shots: Man City 20-7 Brighton

Shots on target: Man City 4-3 Brighton

Corners: Man City 6-2 Brighton

Fouls: Man City 6-15 Brighton

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

Man City and Brighton will now turn their attention to the third round of the FA Cup, with the former hosting League One outfit Exeter City on Saturday and the latter travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday.

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