Manchester City's pursuit of a seventh Premier League crown in nine seasons suffered another damaging blow on Wednesday evening as Brighton secured a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
The result marks a third successive stalemate for Pep Guardiola's side, whose campaign has unravelled dramatically since the turn of the year.
Erling Haaland reached a remarkable personal milestone by netting his 150th goal for the club from the penalty spot.
The Norwegian's strike also entered the history books as the 35,000th goal scored in the Premier League since its inception in 1992.
Pep Guardiola and Fabian Hurzeler exchanged furious words as City scored a penalty
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However, the spot-kick proved contentious, awarded only following a VAR review.
The penalty decision ignited a fierce confrontation between the two managers on the touchline.
Television cameras captured Guardiola and Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler engaged in an animated exchange during the match, with the Catalan appearing particularly incensed.
The incident arose when Diego Gomez made contact with Jeremy Doku's knee as the Belgian winger attempted to evade him inside the area.
Initially, the referee waved away appeals, but subsequently pointed to the spot after consulting the pitchside monitor.
Erling Haaland scored his 150th goal for Man City but it was not enough for the win
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The managers continued their verbal sparring at the final whistle, extending Brighton's unbeaten sequence against City to four consecutive encounters.
Guardiola was forced to field an inexperienced defensive partnership due to injuries affecting Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones.
Academy graduate Max Alleyne, just 20 years old, was recalled from his loan spell at Watford to make his debut alongside 21-year-old Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
Brighton squandered numerous gilt-edged opportunities before the interval, with Ferdi Kadioglu and Georginio Rutter both failing to capitalise when presented with clear sights of goal.
Bernardo Silva struck the woodwork as City sought to extend their advantage after the break.
Kaoru Mitoma restored parity with a sublime finish from outside the box, curling beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma into the bottom corner.
The ramifications for the title race are stark.
Kaoru Mitoma scored Brighton's equaliser to frustrate City
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City held a mere two-point deficit at the summit on New Year's Day, yet that gap could stretch to eight points should Mikel Arteta's Arsenal prevail against Liverpool on Thursday evening.
This represents only the third occasion in Guardiola's distinguished managerial career that his team has drawn three consecutive fixtures.
The champions ended 2025 in imperious form with eight successive victories, but now appear a shadow of that side.
Jeers greeted the players at full-time, and Guardiola faces a considerable task to reinvigorate his depleted squad as their title aspirations fade.