Japanese international Kaoru Mitoma proved to be Manchester City’s tormentor-in-chief on Wednesday, scoring the equalizer and creating numerous chances in Brighton & Hove Albion’s 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium. The result extends City’s winless run to three Premier League matches and leaves them five points behind Arsenal.
City opened the scoring four minutes before halftime when Erling Haaland converted a penalty awarded after Diego Gomez fouled Jeremy Doku in the box. VAR confirmed the decision, and Haaland made no mistake from 12 yards. The goal was his 150th for Manchester City, ended a three-match scoring drought, and took him to 20 Premier League goals for the season.
The second half began with City seeking to extend their advantage. Bernardo Silva had an excellent opportunity when he capitalized on a Brighton error, but his shot struck the post. The match’s intensity increased when a confrontation erupted between City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper, with both players receiving yellow cards.
Mitoma produced his moment of magic in the 60th minute, receiving a pass from the flank before positioning himself at the edge of the penalty area and guiding a precise low shot into the far corner.
The Japanese star continued to influence the match after scoring, creating Brighton’s best chance when he found Gomez inside the penalty area. However, the midfielder’s shot was saved by Donnarumma, and Mitoma’s attempt to convert the rebound from near the byline struck the post. City had one final opportunity to claim victory when Haaland broke through in stoppage time, but Verbruggen’s excellent save ensured Brighton left with a hard-earned point.