City’s Attack Misfires Despite Haaland’s Return to Form

Manchester City’s attack continued to misfire despite Erling Haaland ending his goal drought in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. The result represents the champions’ third consecutive Premier League match without a win and leaves them five points behind Arsenal.
Haaland broke his three-match scoring drought from the penalty spot four minutes before halftime, converting after Diego Gomez fouled Jeremy Doku in the Brighton box. VAR confirmed the decision, and Haaland made no mistake from the spot. The goal was his 150th for Manchester City and took him to 20 Premier League goals for the season.
City appeared determined to build on their advantage after the restart, with Bernardo Silva almost doubling the lead when he intercepted a Brighton error. However, his shot struck the woodwork. The match became increasingly physical, with City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper engaging in a confrontation that resulted in yellow cards for both.
Brighton equalized in the 60th minute through Kaoru Mitoma, who demonstrated composure and quality. The Japanese winger received a pass from the flank, positioned himself at the edge of the penalty area, and guided a low shot into the far corner with precision.
The visitors assumed control after leveling the score, slowing the game’s rhythm and building attacks carefully. They nearly snatched victory when Mitoma’s creative play found Gomez inside the penalty area, but the midfielder’s effort was saved by Donnarumma. Mitoma’s attempt to convert the rebound from near the goal line struck the post. City had one final chance to claim all three points when Haaland found himself one-on-one with Verbruggen in injury time, but the Brighton goalkeeper’s superb save ensured the points were shared.