Premier League: Brighton came back twice to draw as Manchester City drop more points

Brighton & Hove Albion twice came from behind to earn a brilliant 2-2 draw away to fellow Premier League top-four contenders Manchester City, 

City stumbled again in the battle to secure a return to the Champions League as they were pegged back twice by fellow top-five challengers Brighton in an entertaining encounter at Etihad Stadium.

It was the visitors who got off to the better start and had the ball in the back of the net inside seven minutes when Kaoru Mitoma bundled the ball home from Jack Hinshelwood’s cross, but the goal was ruled out after the Japanese international was adjudged to have handled it. 

However, despite Brighton’s positive start, they found themselves behind on 11 minutes after Omar Marmoush was brought down in the box, allowing Erling Haaland to drill in his spot-kick, becoming the first-ever player in Premier Leaguue history to reach 100 goal involvements before playing 100 games - taking the Norwegian just 94 to notch 84 goals and 16 assists.

In a game of superb goals, Pervis Estupinan levelled with a curling free-kick that bounced in off a post, although City keeper Stefan Ortega, in for injured first-choice Ederson, did not cover himself in glory as he initially moved to his right before changing direction and eventually watching the ball go in with a shocked look on his first.

Omar Marmoush levelled with a superb 20-yard strike into the bottom corner, only for City's brittle defence to let them down again three minutes after the restart as Abdukodir Khusanov diverted Jack Hinshelwood's effort into his own net.

In a frenzied finish, City manager Pep Guardiola grew increasingly irritated at referee Simon Hooper following challenges on Josko Gvardiol and Bernardo Silva, who had to be replaced 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Nico Gonzalez hit a post as the hosts pressed but it was Brighton, who have never won an away game against City and were claiming their first point in the fixture since 1982, who should have claimed victory, only for Carlos Baleba to balloon a shot over the bar when he had arrived with a perfectly timed run to meet Joao Pedro's cross unmarked in a central position 12 yards out.

It is now four points in four games for Guardiola's side.

While any hope of retaining their title had long since disappeared, it did feel as though a partial return to form would be enough to guide them into next season's Champions League with something to spare.

That expectation is slowly eroding even if their run-in includes meetings with Leicester City, Wolves and Southampton.

Guardiola's extended post-match chat with Hooper underlined his unhappiness at how the game had been officiated. But he will also know Brighton were the equal of his own side, who were fortunate to escape with a point given Baleba's terrible miss.