Brighton hold City, Everton extend unbeaten run to nine games as Wanderers beat Saints

MANCHESTER: Champions Manchester City could only muster a 2-2 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, dropping points in a blow to their hopes of playing European football next season.

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Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush struck for Pep Guardiola’s men, but Brighton equalised with a second-half own goal by City defender Abdukodir Khusanov after Pervis Estupinan had scored the visitors' first.

The draw which felt like a defeat kept City provisionally fifth in the Premier League table on 48 points after 29 games. Brighton are a point behind in seventh.

City survived an early scare when Kaoru Mitoma celebrated what he thought was a goal for the visitors, but VAR determined the ball had touched the midfielder’s arm and the effort as disallowed.

Haaland struck from the penalty spot in the 11th minute for his 21st league goal of the season, sending goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen the wrong way after Marmoush was brought down by Adam Webster.

The 24-year-old Norwegian made history in the process, becoming the quickest player to reach 100 goal involvements in the Premier League in 94 matches. Alan Shearer had achieved the feat in 100 games.