Omar Marmoush scored as Manchester City drew 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion in a Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, March 15.
Erling Haaland also scored for the Cityzens to put them ahead twice, but Brighton equalized on both occasions to put themselves level.
Manchester City are now fifth in the league table with 48 points from 29 matches. Time is fast running out for them to ensure their place inside the top four.
Brighton, meanwhile, remained seventh with 47 points.
Omar Marmoush Was Quality for Manchester City
Marmoush started in a 3-2-4-1 for Manchester City that often changed to a 3-2-3-2 with the Egyptian moving ahead to play and press alongside Haaland.
The high press also consisted of Savinho, who started on the right flank.
Both of Manchester City’s goals came through the high press that put a lot of pressure on Brighton’s centre-backs.
Marmoush, given the freedom to surge upfront and not having to bother about dropping back to defend much, played with a lot of gusto to stun the visitors.
The forward now has four Premier League goals to his credit.
He earned a penalty that Haaland converted and then scored with a brilliant shot from outside the penalty box to give the home side the lead once again.
Marmoush’s movement and quick approach differed from that of Pep Guardiola’s side, and it was a refreshing change.
Vulnerable Against Counter-Attacks
Manchester City often found themselves under some pressure against Brighton’s counter-attacks.
With left-back Joško Gvardiol overlapping often and right-back Rico Lewis moving to the midfield, Ruben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov were left to save the home side from Brighton’s attacks on the counter.
With both Haaland and Marmoush staying upfront, the Cityzens often were a man short while defending against quick counters.
Moreover, with Ilkay Gundogan, they had an ageing midfielder, who often struggled to match Brighton’s pace.
They conceded twice from such attacks, with the first goal of Brighton coming from a free-kick and the second being Khusanov’s own goal.
Man City have often looked vulnerable against counter-attacks in Rodri’s absence. However, to Brighton’s credit, they did not try to crowd the defence or adopt an ultra-defensive strategy against the English champions.
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International Break: A Chance to Reflect
The Cityzens do not have any league matches left this month as men’s football heads into the first international break of 2025.
When club football returns, City will play against Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterfinal on March 30.
Thereafter, they will take on Leicester City, Manchester United and Crystal Palace in their first three matches in April.
Given the current situation, with both Newcastle United and Brighton breathing down their necks, Manchester City should have a tough time securing a top-four finish.
They might still find some winning form, but from the looks of it, Guardiola’s men will have to work really hard for that.
Guardiola will get some time to rethink their strategy during the international break. He should better devise some strategy to find his way out from this rut because missing out on UEFA Champions League action will be totally unacceptable at his club.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto
Recording Date: 15.03.2025