MANCHESTER: Manchester City twice blew the lead in a 2-2 draw against Brighton on Saturday as Abdukodir Khusanov’s own goal dented their bid to qualify for the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s side led through Erling Haaland’s early penalty at the Etihad Stadium.
But Pervis Estupinan hauled Brighton level and, although Omar Marmoush restored City’s lead just before the interval, the Seagulls levelled again in the second half thanks to Khusanov’s mistake.
City remain in fifth place in the Premier League, one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who visit Arsenal on Sunday, and one point ahead of Newcastle and seventh-placed Brighton.
The top four are guaranteed a Champions League place, while fifth is also likely to be enough depending on the result of the English clubs remaining in European competitions this term.
Reduced to fighting for a Champions League berth after a shockingly bad season, City are still far from certain to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.
That would have been unthinkable just 12 months ago, when City were marching toward a fourth consecutive English title and a sixth in seven years.
Since losing 7-0 at Nottingham Forest, Brighton had reeled off four consecutive league wins and this was another impressive display from Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who still harbor genuine hopes of reaching the Champions League for the first time.
Guardiola made four changes from the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest as Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Ederson and Matheus Nunes were replaced by Marmoush, Ilkay Gundogan, Stefan Ortega and Rico Lewis.
City won a penalty in the 11th minute when Haaland found Marmoush in the Brighton area and the Egyptian was brought down by Adam Webster.
Haaland took the spot-kick, firing low into the bottom corner for his 100th Premier League goal involvement (84 goals and 16 assists) in just 94 appearances.
The Norway striker is the first Premier League player to reach 100 goal involvements in fewer than 100 games.
Not for the first time in their turbulent season, sloppy City were unable to hold onto their lead as Brighton drew level in the 21st minute.
Estupinan let rip with a fierce free-kick from 20 yards that caught out the wrong-footed Ortega, who was rooted to the spot as it hit the post and flashed into the net.
City tried to respond but Haaland lashed over from Gundogan’s pass and Savinho’s shot was blocked by Jan Paul van Hecke.
Guardiola’s men kept pressing and were rewarded in the 39th minute.
Gundogan picked off a miscued Brighton pass and unfurled a precise pass to set up Marmoush for a blistering finish.
City were still fortunate to go in ahead at half-time after a mix up between Nico Gonzalez and Ruben Dias left space for Joao Pedro to shoot just wide.
It took City’s leaky defense just three minutes of the second half to surrender the lead for a second time.
Adam Webster crossed into the area and Jack Hinshelwood’s shot appeared to be going wide until it took a deflection off City defender Khusanov.
With City’s rearguard in disarray, Brighton should have gone ahead, but Yankuba Minteh shot wastefully wide from close-range after Diego Gomez picked out the Gambian.
In a frantic finale, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba smashed over with the goal at his mercy.
Man City held by Brighton to leave Champions League hopes in balance
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Man City held by Brighton to leave Champions League hopes in balance
- Pep Guardiola’s side led through Erling Haaland’s early penalty at the Etihad Stadium
- City remain in fifth place in the Premier League, one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea
Nacho Elvira keeps cool to lead by 2 shots at Dubai Invitational
- Spaniard goes into final round with advantage over Dylan Frittelli, Shane Lowry, Marcus Armitage
DUBAI: Nacho Elvira kept calm in breezy conditions to earn a two-shot advantage heading into the final round of the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The Spaniard shared the overnight second-round lead with Shane Lowry at five under, and he negotiated an early bogey with four birdies to card a steady 68 on Moving Day at Dubai Creek Resort.
Elvira is seeking his third DP World Tour title after successes at the 2021 Cazoo Open, supported by Gareth Bale, and the 2024 Soudal Open.
At eight under he leads by two from a stellar chasing pack at six under, with Dylan Frittelli sharing second place after a sparkling 66 alongside Lowry and Englishman Marcus Armitage.
Elvira said: “I’m very pleased. It’s been a tricky couple of days with the wind. I’m pretty happy with it.
“I’ve been here long enough to not be too nervous tomorrow, in a way. I’m going to try and enjoy, and learn from the experiences in the past and see what happens. I’m extremely happy.”
Elvira was soon the sole leader, despite opening with three pars when Lowry bogeyed the third to slip back in the pack at four under alongside Frenchman Antoine Rozner and Frittelli, who made fast starts.
Lowry dropped another shot at the sixth but when he birdied the next, there was a four-way tie at the top.
His Spanish playing partner bogeyed the seventh just moments earlier as he joined Lowry, Rozner and Frittelli at four under.
The leadership group increased to five when Matt Wallace rolled in his third birdie of the day at the 10th.
Just as Wallace’s putt found the hole, Rozner jumped ahead on his own at five under with a gain at the ninth.
Frittelli’s birdie at the 11th saw the South African move alongside Rozner at the top, only for Lowry and Elvira to follow suit at the same hole for both players to rejoin the lead.
Elvira started his back nine with another birdie to regain the outright lead at six under and then extended his advantage to two when rolling in from 8 feet at the 13th.
Frittelli and Lowry remained in the chasing pack at five under and were joined by Armitage — who responded to a bogey at the seventh with three birdies in four holes from the 10th — and Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy opened with a birdie before dropping a shot at the fourth on a steady front nine, but gains at the 10th, 13th and 16th took him into contention.
A magical recovery from Frittelli at the last saw him close with an unlikely birdie to set the clubhouse mark of six under, with Elvira having three holes to play.
The leading Spaniard regained his two-shot advantage with a lovely 17-footer for birdie at the penultimate hole before closing with a par.
Lowry mixed two birdies and two bogeys on his front nine, but had to wait until the 17th for his next gain before horseshoeing his birdie putt at the last.
Frittelli was bogey-free in his 66 thanks to a hat-trick of birdies from the third before further gains at the 11th and last.
Armitage rolled in a birdie effort from 21 feet at the 18th to climb alongside Frittelli at six under.
World No. 2 McIlroy parred his way home in his 68 to sit in solo fifth, while Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and South African Jacques Kruyswijk both carded flawless rounds of 66 with Spaniard David Puig for company at five under.
Geoff Wang was the 2026 Dubai Invitational Team Event Champion following a total of 17 under.
“It's incredible,” Wang said. “I’ve not spent a lot of time in Dubai, it’s only my second time, but to experience this place on this occasion and on this beautiful golf course, the tournament is exceedingly well run.”
