Madison Haley delivered a standout performance, finding the back of the net twice as Brighton rallied from an early deficit to defeat title‑contending Manchester City 3-2 in a thrilling Women's Super League encounter. The match unfolded with City asserting early dominance, creating several chances and eventually breaking the deadlock when Kerolin slipped a precise through‑ball to her teammate, who finished clinically to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Despite being on the back foot, Brighton resisted and, against the flow of the game, American forward Madison Haley equalised in first‑half stoppage time, capitalising on a loose ball inside the box and slotting it home to restore parity. The momentum shifted almost immediately after the break.
Brighton’s Japanese midfielder Kiko Seike surged forward and struck a powerful shot that found the top corner, putting the Seagulls ahead 2-1. The goal reignited Brighton’s belief and forced City to chase the game. Not to be outdone, Haley once again demonstrated her clinical instincts, threading a well‑timed run into the penalty area and finishing with composure to level the score at 2-2. The match appeared poised for a dramatic finish, and both sides pushed for a winner.
In the dying minutes, Manchester City’s prolific striker Khadija Shaw managed to pull a late goal back, making it 3-2 and setting the stage for a potentially frantic finale. However, Brighton’s defensive organisation held firm, and the home side secured all three points, handing City their third league defeat of the campaign.
Andree Jeglertz, the manager of Manchester City, had entered the match with the ambition of narrowing the gap to the league leaders and clinching the club’s first WSL title since 2016. Yet, despite the victory, City still require five points from their remaining two fixtures to keep pace with third‑placed Arsenal, who enjoy three games in hand. Jeglertz reflected on the performance in a post‑match interview with Sky Sports, acknowledging the team’s shortcomings while emphasizing the importance of learning from the experience.
He noted, "It was a tough game but it is about scoring goals. We created a lot of chances in the first half and we needed to score. On the other hand, we need to protect our penalty box a little better.
It's important we learn from this game. I told the players it is so important that during the 90 minutes, we are really focused in all situations. Today we dropped a couple of percentages in some moments and we were punished." Jeglertz also expressed confidence in the squad’s resilience, stating, "I'm not worried. Unfortunately you learn a lot in these games and I am fully sure that when we are back in training, we will be focused for Liverpool next week.
We are following the other results and it is still in our hands. We will do everything we can to finish off with two wins." The manager’s remarks underscored a forward‑looking mindset, acknowledging the setback while keeping the team’s objectives firmly in sight. City captain Alex Greenwood echoed a similar sentiment, admitting the result was not what they had planned.
She said, "It wasn't part of the plan. This is a really good side - we knew it was going to be a tough game here.
The first half we had the better chances for sure and we probably should have been further ahead than we were. We let them back into the game just before half-time which was quite disappointing and then we missed the small details in the second half and let the game get away from us.
While it is still in our hands, we need to stay really positive and look forward to next week. Two cup finals, two wins, that's the mentality moving forward." For Brighton, the victory was a testament to perseverance and tactical discipline. Player of the match Madison Haley spoke to Sky Sports about the team’s approach, highlighting the importance of tightening up defensively and executing the game plan more effectively after a sluggish first half.
"For us it was more about tightening up. We knew what the game plan was, we were just not executing it in the first half, but we had moments. Getting the goal right before half-time was important for us, but it was more building on the things that were breaking down in the first half in the second," Haley explained. She praised her teammates’ work rate, noting how they applied sustained pressure in the closing stages to secure the win.
"Credit to the girls working hard. They put pressure on us in the final minutes but we stayed together and got three points. At the beginning of this year the performances were there but unfortunately we weren't getting the results. We knew if we kept playing and doing the right things the result would come good.
We are seeing the fruits of our labour now," she added. Looking ahead, Haley expressed optimism about the upcoming fixtures, emphasizing that each match serves as preparation for the ultimate goal of reaching Wembley for a cup final. "We have some really big games coming up, some really hard games, but we are looking to get to Wembley and all of these games are preparations for us to try to get into that final," she concluded. The match also featured a reminder for viewers to use the Chrome browser for an optimal video playback experience, a note repeated several times throughout the coverage.
In addition to the on‑field drama, the broadcast promoted a Super 6 competition offering a chance to win £250,000, inviting fans to enter for free. Overall, the encounter highlighted the competitive nature of the Women's Super League, where even title‑chasing sides like Manchester City can be caught out by determined opponents. Brighton’s ability to overturn a deficit, combined with Haley’s decisive contributions, underscored the depth of talent across the league and set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the season as both clubs chase silverware and league positions.