RIGHTON, England – Manchester City’s title party plans suffered a setback as the Women’s Super League leaders lost 3-2 at mid-table Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, delaying their likely coronation.
City knew a win — coupled with an Arsenal loss or draw at home to bottom side Leicester City on Wednesday — would secure a first league trophy since 2016 but Madison Haley struck twice either side of Kiko Seike’s goal as Brighton produced an upset.
Andree Jeglertz’s City remain on 49 points after 20 of 22 games, while second-placed Chelsea have 40 points from 19 matches. Arsenal in third have 38 but have played just 17 games.
“I’m not worried,” Jeglertz said. “I am fully sure that when we are back again in training, we are fully focusing on Liverpool next (on May 3).
“Of course we are following all the results. It’s still in our hands and we are going to do everything we can to finish it off with two wins. That’s our focus.”
City got off to a strong start and Kerolin put them on the scoresheet in the fifth minute when Brighton failed to deal with a cross and the Brazil forward curled a shot over goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie into the top left corne.
City were guilty of some wasteful finishing and paid the price when Haley struck her first goal against the run of play to draw Brighton level in first-half injury time, latching onto a ball from Fran Kirby and firing into the bottom corner.
Seike put the hosts ahead in the 47th when she sprinted down the right before unleashing a shot into the roof of the net.
Haley completed her double in the 65th minute when she headed in the rebound after her own shot before Khadija Shaw pulled one back for the visitors the 86th, her 19th goal this season, but City could not find the equaliser.
“We didn’t make it easy for ourselves,” Kirby told Sky Sports. “The first half we were, if I can be quite blunt, awful. We were lucky not to be three, four-nil down at one point.
“But we have the belief in the squad. The second half was a really good performance from everyone. And yeah, we’re happy to keep the title race going for a little bit longer.”