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Manchester City struggled to alleviate concerns about potentially missing out on next season's Champions League after twice relinquishing the lead to settle for a 2-2 draw against Brighton. Meanwhile, third-placed Nottingham Forest enjoyed a commanding 4-2 victory over Ipswich on Saturday.
Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush initially gave City the advantage, but a resilient Brighton extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches thanks to Pervis Estupinan’s free-kick and an own goal from Abdukodir Khusanov. Prior to this match, City manager Pep Guardiola remarked that merely qualifying for the Champions League would be considered a significant achievement following a challenging season for a team accustomed to clinching the league title.
Although the English champions faced an early departure from Europe’s premier competition at the hands of Real Madrid, this allowed Guardiola’s squad a full week to regroup after last weekend's disappointing 1-0 loss to Forest.
Marmoush, reinstated to the starting lineup, was a standout performer for City. He won the penalty that allowed Haaland to score his 29th goal of the season. However, just 10 minutes later, Estupinan equalized with a free-kick that curled in off the post and left goalkeeper Stefan Ortega stranded.
Marmoush then regained the lead for City with a powerful long-range effort before halftime. Brighton, however, responded just three minutes into the second half, with Jack Hinshelwood’s shot deflecting into the net off Khusanov.
Despite City pressing for a winner, Nico Gonzalez came close, hitting the post. A top-five finish in the Premier League is almost certain to guarantee a Champions League spot, bolstered by the strong performance of English teams in European competitions. Following the draw, City remains in fifth place, just a point ahead of seventh-placed Brighton.
Forest's pursuit of a Champions League spot for the first time since 1980 continued with a dominant performance at Portman Road. They struck three times within six first-half minutes, closing in on second-placed Arsenal by just a point while establishing a six-point lead over City. Nikola Milenkovic opened the scoring, slotting in a loose ball that hit the underside of the bar. Anthony Elanga then fired home his first goal since Boxing Day following a rapid Forest counter-attack. Just two minutes later, Elanga capitalized on poor defending from Ipswich to score his second goal of the match.
Ipswich managed to score two late consolation goals through Jens Cajuste and George Hirst, separated by Jota Silva’s fourth goal for Forest. Meanwhile, Ipswich's struggle to avoid relegation deepened as Wolves surged nine points clear of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Southampton.
Jorgen Strand Larsen assumed the scoring responsibilities for Wolves in Matheus Cunha’s absence, netting a header from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s cross in the 19th minute.
The duo combined again early in the second half, with Strand Larsen scoring his ninth of the season. Although Paul Onuachu pulled a goal back for Southampton, they are on track to record the lowest points total in Premier League history.
Everton maintained their unbeaten streak at nine matches, securing a last-minute equalizer from Jake O’Brien in a 1-1 draw against West Ham. Tomas Soucek had given West Ham the lead at Goodison Park, leaving both teams on 34 points, a comfortable 17 points above the relegation area.
