In truth, City were fortunate to escape from this game with a point as they looked edgy at the back throughout and lacked a killer instinct up front, with a third draw in a row giving Arsenal a chance to move eight points clear at the top of the table if they can beat Liverpool at Emirates Stadium tonight.
City are not the force they were under manager Pep Guardiola, with rumours that they are set to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace and Antoine Semenyo now looking like deals that need to be done.
Erling Haaland celebrates scoring his penalty (Mike Egerton/PA)
Erling Haaland celebrates scoring his penalty (Mike Egerton/PA)
This display confirmed City are in need of a lift, as they were exposed by a Brighton side from the start of this match.
Pascal Gross had the first big chance when he was given too much space in the City box and he should have done better with a header that was directed too close to keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The visitors threatened again as Ferdi Kadioglu broke behind the City defensive line and should gave done better against Donnarumma.
Brighton continued to exploit the vast space behind the City’s edgy defenders, with Georginio Rutter the next player to set their hearts fluttering until City’s Abdukodir Khusanov rushed back to block his effort.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline (Martin Rickett/PA)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline (Martin Rickett/PA)
So it was somewhat against the run of play when Jeremy Doku tumbled under a challenge from Diego Gomez, with a VAR check resulting in a penalty for the home side.
Haaland made no mistake from 12 yards, as he ended a three-game goalless ‘drought’ with his first goal of 2026.
The muted atmosphere around the Etihad Stadium was nearly lifted as Tijjani Reijnders saw his shot hooked off the line in the final act of the first half.
Brighton did their best to hand City what could have been a decisive second goal as a moment of ridiculous defending in the opening seconds of the second half ended with Bernardo Silva crashing an effort against the outside of the post when it looked earlier to score.
After conceding a late goal to drop two points against Chelsea on Sunday, this felt like a must-win game for City, but they are not firing on all cylinders and Brighton continued to test them as an edgy second half unfolded.
City don’t look like the attacking force they have been for much of Guardiola’s reign and at the other end of the pitch, they continue to look vulnerable.
Brighton’s success in exploiting the space behind the City defence was a problem the title chasers failed to solve all night and after riding their luck for the first 70 minutes, they finally cracked.
Kaoru Mitoma slots his shot through a host of bodies to score (Mike Egerton/PA)
Kaoru Mitoma slots his shot through a host of bodies to score (Mike Egerton/PA)
Kaoru Mitoma cut in from the left and arrowed the ball through the legs of Abdukodir Khusanov to give Brighton a deserved equaliser, with the cheers from Arsenal fans a few hours down the motorway in London echoing all the way up to Manchester as their biggest rivals stumbled again.
City have not looked like title contenders for much of this season and Guardiola has stated they are not playing well enough to be considered as challengers to Arsenal in what is in danger of becoming a one-team title race after this result.
Yet despite their limp display, City will reflect on another huge late chance that could have given them what would have been an undeserved win.
Once again, it was Brighton’s defenders who were close to claiming an unwanted assist as their kamikaze defending so nearly gave Haaland the chance he was waiting for to claim a winner.
He should have done better from close range in the box, but his effort was scrambled clear.
There was a notable moment late in the game as former City midfielder James Milner made his 650th appearance in the Premier League when he came off the bench for Brighton
Yet the bigger picture has to be a third successive draw for City and on the evidence of this latest limp performance, Guardiola is right to suggest his side are not title challengers this season.