Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush found the net for Pep Guardiola's side, but Brighton fought back in the second half, equalizing with an own goal from City's Abdukodir Khusanov, following an earlier strike from Pervis Estupiñán.
The result, which felt more like a defeat for City, left them in fifth place with 48 points from 29 games, while Brighton, just one point behind, sit in seventh.
City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan expressed his frustration after the match, saying, “I feel personally very disappointed. After getting twice in front and actually playing quite well, it’s a bit frustrating to not get the three points.”
City’s defense was tested early when Kaoru Mitoma thought he had scored for Brighton, but the goal was ruled out after VAR confirmed it had hit his arm.
Haaland opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a penalty, his 21st league goal of the season, after Marmoush was fouled by Adam Webster. In the process, Haaland set a Premier League record, becoming the fastest player to reach 100 goal involvements in just 94 matches, surpassing Alan Shearer’s previous mark of 100 games.
Brighton responded just 10 minutes later with a stunning free kick from Estupinan, who found the net from 22 yards out, catching City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega off guard.
City regained the lead in the 39th minute when Marmoush struck a powerful shot into the net after Gundogan set him up, making it 2-1.
However, City’s lead was short-lived when Khusanov inadvertently turned in a header from Webster following a corner, leveling the score at 2-2. The own goal marked City’s 40th league goal conceded this season, their highest tally under Guardiola in a single campaign.
“It was a good game, a tight game,” Guardiola told 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.”
In the final moments, both teams had near-misses. Nico Gonzalez’s header for City struck the post, while Brighton’s Carlos Baleba fluffed a clear opportunity, sending the ball over the bar, leaving manager Fabian Hurzeler in disbelief as Baleba collapsed to his knees.
Brighton midfielder Jack Hinshelwood reflected on the challenge of playing at the Etihad: “When you come to Man City, it’s a tough place to come. 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-match winning streak in the league.
