Manchester City remain second in the Premier League, but 2026 has not started in the best possible way, as it is a third consecutive draw, after the match with Brighton andHove Albion.
As expected, City dominated possession in the early exchanges, but the best chances early in the first half fell the way of Brighton. City were fortunate not to be behind.
They did take the lead just before the break when Erling Haaland successfully scored from the penalty spot.
Many may have felt they would have gone on to win rather comfortably at that point, but Brighton kept going and always had the ability to cause City problems.
In the 60th minute, Karou Mitoma scored the equaliser, and it was 1-1.
Both sides had chances to win it, but they were forced to settle for the point. Brighton will be happiest- Fabian Hurzeler is yet to lose to a Guardiola side. The Seagulls deserve credit for a good performance and coming close to completing a league double over City. They take a point, but Guardiola will likely be frustrated.
Here are four takeaways from the game:
He is a player who often scores landmark goals and, whilst his penalty did not give his side the three points, it was his 150th Manchester City goal.
The Norwegian had gone three games without a goal, but he was as composed as ever from the spot.
It was a relatively quiet night for the striker, and he would have enjoyed the occasion more had he also scored his 151st, and it had been a winner.
However, he has netted 150 times in 173 games, so it is another impressive statistic.
A changed City side
Young centre-back **Max Alleyne**had spent time on loan at Watford so far this season, but due to injuries at City, he had been recalled to the Etihad. He lined up at the back, alongside Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake.
It was a solid debut from Alleyne, and he even went close to scoring with a header that was just wide in the first half.
This is a busy time of the season, and injuries will not help as City look to push Arsenal close, but they have a squad to deal with these, and they will take optimism from the performance of their young defence against Brighton.
Have City crumbled at a key point in the season?
2026 has started with three draws for City, and whilst they are on an eleven-game unbeaten run in all competitions, draws do not provide the required momentum.
2025 ended with eight straight wins, and they had closed the gap to first place.
City want to be challenging for the title and they cannot be written off as they have the potential to go on a winning streak. Usually, when the pressure is on, they are able to step up and deliver, but it must be said that these three draws could prove costly. Looking ahead, draws must be turned into wins.
They came very close to beating **Chelsea**last weekend but conceded a late goal, and, at face value, that is a good point against strong opposition, but after draws with **Sunderland**and now Brighton, it may feel like a missed opportunity.
Where does this leave City in the table?
They will know that the league table is really taking shape. The worrying news will be that the two-point gap to Arsenal that they faced on 1 January will become eight if Mikel Arteta's men win their crucial meeting against Liverpool.
There is a long way to go, and it is not over, but an eight-point lead would become a big one.
It is also worth noting that had Aston Villa beaten Crystal Palace, then City would have dropped to third.
Next up, Guardiola's side are in cup action in their next two games, but when they return to league action, it is the Manchester derby, and they will be looking to bounce back.