The two sides came into the game in an unlikely battle for a top-four spot.
It was the visitors who got off to the better start and had the ball in the back of the net inside seven minutes when Kaoru Mitoma bundled the ball home from Jack Hinshelwood’s cross, but the goal was ruled out after the Japanese international was adjudged to have handled it.
However, despite Brighton’s positive start, they found themselves behind on 11 minutes after Omar Marmoush was brought down in the box, allowing Erling Haaland to drill in his spot-kick, becoming the first-ever player in Premier Leaguue history to reach 100 goal involvements before playing 100 games – taking the Norwegian just 94 to notch 84 goals and 16 assists.
Fabian Hürzeler’s men didn’t let their heads drop after falling behind, however, as Pervis Estupiñán equalised midway through the first half with a brilliant curling free-kick that pinged in off the post – marking the Ecuadorian’s first Premier League goal since December 2023.
City immediately went back on the front foot, as Haaland was denied a brace, blazing an effort over the bar after he was picked out by İlkay Gündoğan.
The Norwegian is no longer the sole talisman for City, with January signing Marmoush shouldering the goalscoring burden, and the Egyptian did exactly that less than 10 minutes before half-time, drilling a pinpoint effort into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.
After an attacking first half, it was exactly the same after the restart, with a host of chances in the opening minutes leading to Brighton drawing level once again.
Three minutes into the second period, City failed to clear a corner kick, which led to Hinshelwood’s effort deflecting in via Abdukodir Khusanov for an OG.
The away side should have found themselves ahead minutes later as Diego Gómez’s cross to the back post required just a touch over the line, but somehow Yankuba Minteh missed the ball.
It was a back-and-forth affair as Marmoush came close to netting his second of the afternoon but Bart Verbruggen made a brilliant save to deny the Egyptian from inside the box.
City continued to probe for a third goal of the afternoon, and the hosts were denied by the woodwork late on as Nico González’s header clipped the post from Gündoğan’s corner.
Brighton were proving dangerous on the counter though, as a quick break up the field should have given the visitors the lead but Carlos Baleba skied an effort over the bar at the back post.
In the end, neither side was able to find an elusive third goal as City’s inconsistency continues, leaving Pep Guardiola’s men a point behind the top four having played a game more than fourth-place Chelsea. Although Brighton’s run of six consecutive wins comes to an end, the Seagulls remain within the thick of the race for Europe.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton & Hove Albion)
