Manchester City failed to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal on Wednesday night after being held to a 1–1 draw by Brighton at the Etihad Stadium, with Aston Villa also dropping points elsewhere.
In a busy round of fixtures, Fulham came from behind to defeat 10-man Chelsea 2–1 in front of new Blues boss Liam Rosenior, while managerless Manchester United travelled to struggling Burnley.
City took the lead through Erling Haaland, who converted from the penalty spot to score his 150th goal for the club. The strike marked a significant milestone for the Norwegian, who reached the landmark in just 173 appearances — 28 games quicker than any other player in Premier League history.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side were unable to build on their advantage, and Brighton drew level in the 60th minute through Kaoru Mitoma. The Japan international found the bottom corner with a composed finish from the edge of the box to earn the visitors a deserved equaliser.
Despite creating several chances, City were wasteful in front of goal and ultimately settled for a third consecutive league draw.
The result leaves the reigning champions on 43 points, five behind Arsenal, who could extend their lead to eight points with a home victory over Liverpool on Thursday.
Aston Villa are also on 43 points after being held to a goalless draw away at Crystal Palace, further tightening the race behind the league leaders.
