Champions Manchester City may solely muster a 2-2 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, dropping factors in a blow to their hopes of taking part in European soccer subsequent season.
Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush struck for Pep Guardiola’s males, however Brighton equalised with a second-half personal objective by City defender Abdukodir Khusanov after Pervis Estupinan had scored the guests’ first.
The draw which felt like a defeat saved City provisionally fifth within the Premier League desk on 48 factors after 29 video games. Brighton are a degree behind in seventh.
“I feel personally very disappointed,” City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan stated. “After getting twice in front and actually playing quite well. It’s a bit frustrating to not get the three points.”
City survived an early scare when Kaoru Mitoma celebrated what he thought was a objective for the guests, however VAR decided the ball had touched the midfielder’s arm and the hassle as disallowed.
Haaland struck from the penalty spot within the eleventh minute for his twenty first league objective of the season, sending goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen the improper means after Marmoush was introduced down by Adam Webster.
The 24-year-old Norwegian made historical past within the course of, changing into the quickest participant to succeed in 100 objective involvements within the Premier League in 94 matches. Alan Shearer had achieved the feat in 100 video games.
Estupinan levelled 10 minutes later along with his first league objective since December 2023 when he caught goalkeeper Stefan Ortega flat-footed with an excellent free kick from 22 yards out that flew in off the submit.
City reclaimed the lead by means of Marmoush’s Thirty ninth-minute objective, with Ilkay Gundogan laying the ball off for the Egyptian who unleashed a blistering shot into the online.
Khusanov’s try and clear Webster’s header from a nook quickly after the interval drew the guests degree as soon as once more. The objective was the fortieth conceded by City within the league this season, their most in a single marketing campaign underneath Guardiola.
“It was a good game, a tight game,” Guardiola informed the BBC. “I know how difficult it is to make the process which we’re in now. The players gave everything, we take the point and keep on going. Of course, I have confidence and I always have.”
The dying minutes featured near-misses for each groups. City’s Nico Gonzalez despatched a header off the submit, and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba squandered a easy likelihood, launching the ball over the crossbar as supervisor Fabian Hurzeler held his head in disbelief and Baleba dropped to his knees.
“When you come to Man City, it’s a tough place to come,” Brighton midfielder Jack Hinshelwood stated. “They’ve not been their best this season, but it is still a hard place to come. The run we’re on, we’ve gone into every game believing we can beat anybody.”
The draw ended Brighton’s four-game league successful run.
Source: www.anews.com.tr