Manchester City failed to ease fears of missing out on next season’s Champions League after twice blowing the lead to draw 2-2 against Brighton, while third-placed Nottingham Forest thrashed Ipswich 4-2 on Saturday.
Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush put City in front, but high-flying Brighton extended their unbeaten run to seven games thanks to Pervis Estupinan’s free-kick and an Abdukodir Khusanov own goal.
City boss Pep Guardiola said on Friday that just qualifying for the Champions League would be a “big success” after a difficult season for a side used to lifting the league title.
The English champions’ early exit from Europe’s top competition to Real Madrid had at least ensured a full week’s preparation for Guardiola’s men to bounce back from last weekend’s dismal 1-0 defeat at Forest.
Marmoush was restored to the starting line-up and proved to be City’s brightest spark going forward.
The Egyptian won the penalty from which Haaland opened the scoring with his 29th goal of the season.
City’s lead lasted only 10 minutes as Estupinan curled a free-kick in off the post past the leaden-footed Stefan Ortega in the City goal.
Marmoush blasted City back in front from long range before half-time.
Brighton, though, took just three minutes into the second half to level again when Jack Hinshelwood’s shot was turned into his own net by Khusanov.
Nico Gonzalez hit the post as City pushed in vain for a winner.
A top-five Premier League finish will almost certainly secure a Champions League place this season thanks to English clubs’ strong performances in European competition.
A point leaves City still in fifth, just one point ahead of Brighton in seventh.
“I’m always confident, in that I am a master. I do have moments when I can doubt but I find the right way, the positiveness in everything,” said Guardiola.
“I know it will be difficult for many reasons but we have nine games, nine finals.”
Forest’s charge towards Europe’s top club competition for the first time since 1980 continued with a dominant display at Portman Road.
The visitors struck three times in six first-half minutes to close to within one point of second-placed Arsenal and move six clear of City.
Nikola Milenkovic controlled a loose ball inside the area and blasted in on off the underside of the bar to open the floodgates.
Anthony Elanga then drilled in his first goal since Boxing Day at the end of a blistering Forest counter-attack.
Two minutes later Elanga took advantage of dreadful Ipswich defending to sprint clear and slot in his second of the afternoon.
“There is a good spell in the first half that really changed the game for six minutes,” said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who is not getting carried away dreaming of Champions League football.
“We have to focus on ourselves. Work as much as we can because there is a lot of football to be played yet.”
Jens Cajuste and George Hirst scored late consolation goals for Kieran McKenna’s men either side of Jota Silva’s fourth for Forest.
Ipswich’s uphill task to beat the drop suffered another blow as Wolves pulled nine points clear of the bottom three with a 2-1 victory at Southampton thanks to a double from Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Paul Onuachu pulled a goal back but Southampton remain on course to post the worst ever points tally in Premier League history.
Bournemouth’s bid to qualify for Europe for the first time is fading after a 2-1 home defeat to Brentford.
Goals from Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard earned the Bees victory after Vitaly Janelt’s own goal had opened the scoring for Bournemouth.
Everton extended their unbeaten league run to nine games thanks to Jake O’Brien’s 90th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw against West Ham.
AFP
