Man City get Antoine Semenyo sucker punch after Pep Guardiola rage

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Manchester City were held by Brighton in the Premier League as their incoming signing made the difference for Bournemouth

What a time for Antoine Semenyo to score a last-minute winner. Manchester City got a reminder of what their new signing can do, but will badly wish he hadn't been 250 miles away still playing for Bournemouth as the Blues were held in the Premier League for the third time in 2026.

With just 13 senior outfield players fit after injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol at the weekend, tired City players were asked to go again and hope that their spirit would get them through. That and the first appearance for the club for Max Alleyne, the 20-year-old centre-back who was at Watford on Monday enjoying a season-long loan before he was drastically recalled.

However tired the legs were - and boy were they - to a man City showed that they were up for a fight against Brighton. Erling Haaland instantly resumed his hostilities with Jan Paul van Hecke, Bernardo Silva felt Maxim De Cuyper trying to take the shirt off his back on a number of times before the half-time whistle, and the biggest beef was reserved for the touchline.

Pep Guardiola and his counterpart Fabian Hurzeler spent large chunks of the game going against either each other or the fourth official. It was compelling stuff, which was a relief because the error-ridden football wasn't as both sides failed to take the initiative or show that they should be ahead.

Boiling point was reached near the end of the first half when referee Thomas Bramall failed to give a penalty for a foul on Jeremy Doku. Guardiola raged, then pulled substitute Rodri away from arguing with the Brighton bench, then sniped some more at Hurzeler as Silva and Haaland scrapped with the Brighton defence waiting for Bramall to go to the VAR monitor and rectify his error.

Haaland rolled in the penalty to put City in front, and they should have had a second just after the break when Silva was gifted the ball in the box but he could only hit the post with his effort. Predictably, they were made to pay when Kaoru Mitoma arrowed the ball through Nico Gonzalez's legs and into the bottom corner on the hour-mark; continuing the theme of the night, Gianluigi Donnarumma was booked as City looked to restart the game.

City wobbled before regaining the upper hand in the game, and Ferdi Kadioglu cleared a Haaland header off the line from a corner before the striker missed from close range after being set up by substitute Rayan Cherki. The anger from the first half turned to anguish as the Blues tried desperately - and failed - to get their noses back in front.

Hurzeler chased Guardiola onto the pitch at full-time to shake his hand, and their conversation did not look any friendlier than what had preceded it. City have bigger things to worry about though as they look at another missed opportunity.

With points dropped for the third game in seven days, City have blown their momentum and gifted Arsenal breathing room in the title race. By the time Semenyo arrives, fresh from scoring a last-minute winner in his final game for Bournemouth, it could be too late to spark another challenge.

For all the shouting, it is goals, defenders, and fresh legs and minds that City need most.