VAR Confirms Penalty as Haaland Reaches 150 Goals for City

Erling Haaland reached a significant milestone on Wednesday, scoring his 150th goal for Manchester City, but it was not enough to secure victory as Brighton & Hove Albion fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium. The result extends City’s winless run to three consecutive league draws and sees them trail Arsenal by five points in the title race.
The Norwegian striker’s landmark goal came from the penalty spot four minutes before halftime, after Jeremy Doku was fouled by Diego Gomez inside the penalty area. Following a VAR review that upheld the referee’s decision, Haaland stepped up confidently to convert the penalty, taking his Premier League tally to 20 goals for the season and ending a three-match scoring drought.
City threatened to double their advantage early in the second half when Bernardo Silva pounced on a Brighton defensive error, but his shot rebounded off the woodwork. The match saw a controversial moment when City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper became embroiled in a heated exchange, with both players receiving yellow cards.
Brighton equalised in the 60th minute through Kaoru Mitoma, who displayed composure and skill to guide a low shot into the bottom corner from just outside the box. The Japanese winger received a pass from the flank and took his time to compose himself before beating Donnarumma with a well-placed finish.
After equalising, Brighton seized control of the match and came close to snatching a winner when Mitoma’s angled shot from near the byline struck the post. In the closing stages, Haaland had a golden opportunity to secure all three points for City, finding himself one-on-one with Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, but the Dutch shot-stopper produced a crucial save to deny him and preserve the draw.