At Etihad Stadium on 7/1, Man City dominated, controlling possession for 59% and taking 20 shots with 4 on target – compared to Brighton's 7 shots and 3 on target – but only secured one point. Erling Haaland opened the scoring with a penalty, before Kaoru Mitoma equalized for the visitors.

"Deserving a win doesn't always guarantee it", Guardiola said after the match. "The result is the result. Each team gets one point, that's it. We played well, created numerous opportunities, but failed to score".

Coach Pep Guardiola gives instructions during the Man City 1-1 draw with Brighton in Premier League round 21 at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England on 7/1. *Photo: Man City*

The Spanish coach admitted Man City is having problems with finishing, even though their collective play remains positive. "I really liked how we played, especially with many new players", he stated. "The defense worked very effectively, we created many chances in the six-yard box but couldn't convert them. It's not the fault of any one individual, but all the attacking players".

Man City extended their unbeaten streak to 11 matches across all competitions, but three consecutive draws against Chelsea, Sunderland, and Brighton risk Arsenal widening their lead to 8 points.

"If we don't win, don't dream of winning the league", Guardiola said regarding the title race with Arsenal. "But if we analyze how we played, the performance was strong. Brighton is a team in good form and well-organized, but apart from the first few minutes, we controlled the game".

Max Alleyne with the ball during the match. *Photo: Man City*

Alongside the disappointment with the result, Guardiola praised Max Alleyne and Abdukodir Khusanov – two young center-backs who started against Brighton, as Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones were out with long-term injuries. Alleyne had 16 appearances for Watford on loan during the first half of the 2025-2026 season before Man City recalled him.

"Both played excellently, especially Khusanov. He controlled the space behind and long balls effectively. Alleyne had only returned to the squad two days ago, trained for one session, but performed impressively", Guardiola said.

Similarly, defender Nathan Ake praised Alleyne's debut. "To train for one session and then play like that is truly commendable. He performed admirably. If we had capitalized on the chances we created, the game would have been different", the Dutch player shared.

On 10/1, Man City will continue their home fixtures, facing lower-league club Exeter in the FA Cup third round.

Hong Duy (according to Mancity.com)