Manchester City’s stuttering start to 2026 continued on Wednesday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton at the Etihad Stadium. It’s now three games without a win for Pep Guardiola’s side—following a goalless stalemate with Sunderland and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
City took the lead just before half-time when Erling Haaland converted from the penalty spot—his 150th goal for the club in only 173 appearances, a staggering return for the Norwegian striker.
35,000 – Erling Haaland has scored the 35,000th @premierleague goal, four years and 131 days after the 30,000th by Burnley’s Chris Wood against Leeds United in August 2021. Landmark. pic.twitter.com/Lhl9oK9Oix
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 7, 2026
Brighton, however, came out firing after the break. Their persistence paid off on the hour mark when Kaoru Mitoma produced a precise finish into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the area, silencing the home crowd.
Guardiola admitted frustration after the game:
“The result is what it is. It’s similar to the last two games. We played fantastically, I’m pleased with many things, but we missed a lot. It’s a fair result because scoring goals is something you have to do—and we didn’t.”
City had chances to win it late on. Haaland and Rayan Cherki both squandered golden opportunities, while Bernardo Silva struck the post moments before Mitoma’s equalizer.
The draw leaves City five points adrift of leaders Arsenal, a gap that could stretch to eight if the Gunners beat the defending champions, Liverpool at at the Emirates on Thursday. It’s a worrying trend for The Citizens as 2026 begins with three straight draws.
Jeremy Doku summed up the mood:
“On another day we score. It’s similar to the other two games. We need to take our chances—if we do, it’s a different story. These three games we win. Then we get anxious when time goes.”
