VAR played a crucial role in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday, confirming the penalty decision that led to Erling Haaland’s goal. The result extends City’s winless run to three Premier League matches and leaves them five points behind leaders Arsenal.
The penalty was awarded four minutes before halftime when Jeremy Doku was fouled by Diego Gomez inside the Brighton box. After a VAR review upheld the referee’s decision, Haaland stepped up to convert confidently. 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.
City nearly doubled their advantage shortly after the break when Bernardo Silva intercepted a Brighton defensive error, but his effort rebounded off the post. The match’s temperature rose when a confrontation erupted between City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper, with both players shown yellow cards.
Brighton equalized in the 60th minute through Kaoru Mitoma, who demonstrated excellent technique. The Japanese winger received a pass from wide, positioned himself at the edge of the penalty area, and curled a low shot into the far corner with precision, leaving Donnarumma helpless.
The visitors assumed control after leveling the score, slowing the game’s rhythm and building attacks carefully. They came desperately close to taking the lead when Mitoma’s creative play found Gomez inside the box, but the midfielder’s shot was saved by Donnarumma. Mitoma’s rebound attempt from near the byline struck the post. In the dying minutes, Haaland had a clear opportunity to win the match when he found himself one-on-one with Verbruggen, but the Brighton goalkeeper’s excellent save ensured the points were shared.