Mitoma Magic Denies Manchester City Full Points at Etihad

Brighton & Hove Albion produced a spirited second-half performance to earn a 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Wednesday, extending the home side’s winless streak to three Premier League matches. The result leaves City five points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the table.
Manchester City took the lead through their talismanic striker Erling Haaland, who converted a penalty awarded after VAR confirmed that Jeremy Doku had been fouled by Diego Gomez inside the area. The goal, scored four minutes before the break, was Haaland’s 150th for the club and his 20th in the league this season, ending a frustrating three-game period without finding the net.
The second half began with City threatening to put the game beyond Brighton’s reach. Bernardo Silva pounced on a defensive error from the visitors, but his goal-bound effort was denied by the post, keeping Brighton’s hopes alive. The match became increasingly physical, culminating in a confrontation between goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Maxim De Cuyper, which resulted in yellow cards for both players.
Brighton’s equalizer arrived on the hour mark and was a goal of genuine quality. Kaoru Mitoma received the ball from a teammate positioned wide and took a touch to set himself at the edge of the box before stroking a measured shot into the far corner, giving Donnarumma no chance of making a save.
The goal energized the visitors, who took command of the match and dictated the tempo. Brighton came within inches of taking the lead when Mitoma’s excellent work created an opportunity for Gomez, but the midfielder couldn’t convert. Mitoma’s follow-up attempt from a tight angle hit the post. As the clock wound down, Haaland had a glorious chance to win the match when he broke clear of the Brighton defense, but Bart Verbruggen produced a magnificent save to ensure his team left Manchester with a well-deserved point.