Ilkay Gundogan admitted that Manchester City's "confidence and belief" dropped after Abdukodir Khusanov's own goal gave Brighton a point on Saturday.
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Khusanov deflected in Brighton's equaliser in 48th minuteHaaland penalty and Marmoush strike gave City 2-1 half-time leadBrighton missed multiple chances to win in second halfFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
City looked confident going into half-time after a penalty from Erling Haaland and a nice strike from Omar Marmoush either side of Pervis Estupinian's free-kick. However, Khusanov inadvertently deflected in Jack Hinshelwood's effort just minutes into the second half, prompting Brighton to gain momentum and push for a winner, with Gundogan admitting the second equaliser proved difficult to bounce back from.
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The result made it just two wins in City's last six Premier League games, with Pep Guardiola's side continuing to put in inconsistent and frustrating displays in recent months, leaving his side one point outside the top four having played a game more than some of the teams around them.
WHAT GUNDOGAN SAID
"I feel personally very disappointed," Gundogan said following the match. "After getting twice in front and actually playing quite well. It's a bit frustrating to not get the three points. I think we were able to limit their possession. Second half, after conceding the second, it felt like we dropped in confidence and belief. We dropped a little bit and gave away easy chances.
"It's important to stay calm. Of course, mistakes happen even at this level. The opposition are so good. Every game is tough. Then when you concede sometimes you try not to do overdo things. We need to expect the best from everyone every single day. I thought we had a good week of training. We want to transmit that power and energy into the game. Sometimes it isn't enough."
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?
City will take the international break to regroup ahead of their next match, which is the FA Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth on March 30th. The competition represents the last realistic chance for City to get silverware this season, with Guardiola's side sitting fifth in the Premier League.
