Brighton hold City , Everton extend unbeaten run to nine games as Wanderers beat Saints

Champions Manchester City could only muster a 2-2 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, dropping points in a blow to their hopes of playing European football next season.

Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush struck for Pep Guardiola’s men, but Brighton equalised with a second-half own goal by City defender Abdukodir Khusanov after Pervis Estupinan had scored the visitors’ first.

The draw which felt like a defeat kept City provisionally fifth in the Premier League table on 48 points after 29 games. Brighton are a point behind in seventh.

City survived an early scare when Kaoru Mitoma celebrated what he thought was a goal for the visitors, but VAR determined the ball had touched the midfielder’s arm and the effort as disallowed.

Haaland struck from the penalty spot in the 11th minute for his 21st league goal of the season, sending goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen the wrong way after Marmoush was brought down by Adam Webster.

The 24-year-old Norwegian made history in the process, becoming the quickest player to reach 100 goal involvements in the Premier League in 94 matches. Alan Shearer had achieved the feat in 100 games.

Estupinan levelled 10 minutes later with his first league goal since December 2023 when he caught goalkeeper Stefan Ortega flat-footed with a brilliant free kick from 22 yards out that flew in off the post.

City reclaimed the lead through Marmoush’s 39th-minute goal, with Ilkay Gundogan laying the ball off for the Egyptian who unleashed a blistering shot into the net.

Jake O’Brien headed a last-gasp equaliser as Everton stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to nine games with a 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the ‘David Moyes Derby’ at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek put the Hammers ahead in the 67th, curling the ball into the bottom-right corner after a pass from Jarrod Bowen.

Ireland defender O’Brien rescued the home side’s run from close range in the 90th after Everton had a first-half penalty decision overruled by VAR when a replay showed Beto had kicked the turf rather than being fouled.

Carlos Alcaraz could have snatched a winner for Everton at the finish but fired just wide of the post.

Saturday was the first time the clubs had met since manager Moyes returned to Everton, the team he had led from 2002-13, in January after leaving West Ham at the end of last season.

Moyes, who had written in his programme notes about his time in London, went over to applaud the visiting fans after the final whistle.

The draw left both sides level on 34 points and with little left to play for other than bragging rights, seemingly safe from relegation but far from any prospect of Europe.

Everton are 14th, West Ham 16th with both 17 points clear of the bottom three and nine games remaining.

Wolverhampton Wanderers beat bottom side Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s on Saturday as the visitors took a giant step towards Premier League survival thanks to a clinical double from Jorgen Strand Larsen.

A nervy victory after Southampton pulled a goal back in the 75th minute moved Wolves, 17th, nine points clear of 18th-placed Ipswich Town who lost 4-2 to Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, Southampton look destined for the drop with the south-coast club still on nine points after 29 games after a ninth straight defeat at home as they walked off to loud boos from the home support. Sugawara crossed the ball into a dangerous area but Kamaldeen Sulemana failed to tap the ball in as Wolves cleared.

The hosts continued to carve open Wolves’ defence with some crisp passing but they lacked the finishing touch and it was the away side that opened the scoring against the run of play with their first shot on target.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde floated in a cross towards the penalty spot where Strand Larsen beat his marker and flicked a header past Saints keeper Aaron Ramsdale to find the bottom corner.

Agencies