City lose more ground in title race with draw against Brighton

City appeared in control of the contest until Kaoru Mitoma fired Brighton level after an hour. The Japanese international's goal might prove to be an equaliser too far for Pep Guardiola

Kaoru Mitoma celebrates the equaliser. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA

Manchester City 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 1 

You can't win the Premier League title inside a week in January. But you can certainly lose it.

Manchester City lost more ground in their bid to reel in Arsenal at the top of the table despite Erling Haaland powering them into a first-half lead from the penalty spot with his 150th goal for the club.

City, who themselves scored against the run of play, appeared in control of the contest until Kaoru Mitoma fired Brighton level after an hour. The Japanese international's goal might prove to be an equaliser too far for Pep Guardiola.

The Catalan's side looked capable of turning the title procession into a race again at the turn of a year. Now they have drawn three times in seven excruciating days.

City trail the Gunners by five points having played a game more.

It might have been worse for a team that appear to be running on empty as the run-in for home begins.

Just 10 minutes after Mitoma's leveller, he put one of a plate for Diego Gomez, but the Paraguayan somehow sliced the ball away from goal from just three yards before Brighton's goalscorer scuffed the loose ball against the post. It was the miss of this or any season.

City, missing the injured defensive trio of Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones, gave a debut to Max Alleyne after recalling the 20-year-old from a loan with Watford.

Brighton should have exploited the home side's uncertainty at the back. Pascal Gross sent a weak downward header too close to to Gianluigi Donnarumma after getting between Abdukodir Khusanov and Alleyne to meet Maxim De Cuyper's cross in the second minute.

Then Ferdi Kadioglu sprung City's offside trap from Georgino Rutter's pass but fired his shot straight at Donnarumma.

Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke (left) and Manchester City's Erling Haaland battle for the ball. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA

City managed to exert some measure of control after those early scares, but then it took a desperate challenge by the lightening-quick Khusanov to deny Rutter getting a shot off after the home side had once again been caught square.

The Blues went ahead with their first chance of the game four minutes before half-time. How referee Thomas Bramall missed Diego Gomez's assault on Jeremy Dogu's knee was a mystery, but VAR intervened to make sure justice was done.

Guardiola was booked for apparently blaming Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler for the official's poor judgement, while Gross saw yellow for trying to scuff up the penalty spot.

Haaland was unfazed - and duly sent Bart Verbruggen the wrong way from 12 yards. His 150th City goal has taken just 173 games.

City almost doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Tijjani Reijnders' snap shot was blocked on the line by Jack Hinshelwood.

Bernardo Silva should have done better than shoot against the outside of the post immediately after the break after Yasin Ayari's terrible pass across the face of his own goal presented the Portuguese with a glorious chance.

Brighton were level on the hour when Kaoru Mitoma was allowed to cut inside both Silva and Matheus Nunes and punish their lack of aggression with a low drive into the bottom corner from 18 yards.

The Seagulls came from behind to beat City at the Amex in August and they might have claimed their first double over the Mancunians had Gomez not managed to blow his big opportunity soon afterwards.

That roused the home side, as did the introductions of Rodri and Rayan Cherki.

Haaland's flicked header from Phil Foden's corner was nodded off the line by Kadioglu and then the City striker was guilty of a shocking msis of his own when he fired straight at Verbruggen from 10 yards.

Cherki fired a decent chance over and then scuffed another effort wide as City became more desperate in their bid to find a winner.

When Jan Paul van Hecke threw himself forward to block another Haaland effort in injury-time, Guardiola wore the look of someone who feared his race might already be run.

Man City (4-3-3): Donnarumma 6; Nunes 5 (Lewis 73, 5), Khusanov 7, Alleyne 7, Ake 5 (O'Reilly 73, 5); Silva 6, Gonzalez 6 (Rodri 64, 6), Reijnders 6; Doku 8, Haaland 6, Foden 5 (Cherki 73, 5).

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen 7; Hinshelwood 7, Van Hecke 7, Dunk 6, Kadioglu 6; Ayari 6 (Milner 83), Gross; Mitoma 7 (Watson 83), Gomez 5 (Gruda 77, 5), De Cuyper 6; Rutter 5 (Welbeck 77, 5).

Referee: Thomas Bramall.