Premier League champions Manchester City and Brighton Hove Albion shared the spoils in an entertaining 1-1 draw on Wednesday evening.
City manager Pep Guardiola re-called Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri Hernandez, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland from the win over Chelsea on Sunday.
The Seagulls were first to threaten when a free-kick on the edge of the area by Danny Welbeck struck the upright and saw the Citizens out of jail.
Nonetheless, the nervous opening didn't unsettle the league champions who took the lead after the half-hour mark when Phil Foden pulled wide and tucked in a lay-off from Haaland.
Brighton looked to have levelled on the half-hour mark through a close-range finish from Kaoru Mitoma, but it was overturned due to the player having handled the ball.
The Seagulls continued to show intense and clawed back in outstanding fashion as a scorching strike from 30—yards out by Julio Enciso nestled over Stefan Ortega and in the top corner.
It was a controlled start to the second half for City who could've regained the lead with a snap shot from a tight angle by Gundogan, but he guided the strike wide of target.
The league champions showed a substitution in the opening five minutes of the second half with Foden coming off and Cole Palmer brought on.
Brighton maintained the confidence from the first spell and an opening from a tight angle by Mitoma gave them the chance to regain ascendancy, but Ortega narrowed.
The open contest remained around the closing quarter though the host enjoyed the lion share of chances before a belter from Pervis Estupinan shaved the near corner.
City were ahead in the last ten minutes when Haaland rose up in the area and nodded in Palmer's cross but it was overturned as the forward pulled a shirt before converting.
With the chances continuing to go either way before the end, neither managed to get in and 1-1 it finished which secured Brighton's entry to next season's UEFA Europa League.
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