In a dramatic Women's Super League encounter, Madison Haley delivered a brace to guide Brighton to a 3-2 comeback victory over title‑chasing Manchester City. The match began with City asserting early dominance, carving out a chance that was converted by Kerolin to put the hosts ahead. Yet, despite their control of possession, the English side found themselves level just before the break when the American forward Haley found the net in first‑half stoppage time, nullifying City’s early advantage. The momentum shifted dramatically after the interval.
Brighton’s Japanese midfielder Kiko Seike struck a swift response, firing the visitors ahead shortly after play resumed. The goal reignited Brighton’s belief and set the tone for a fiercely contested second half.
Not content with a single strike, Haley doubled her tally later in the half, restoring parity and putting Brighton back in the driver’s seat. Manchester City, however, were not ready to surrender. Their seasoned striker Khadija Shaw managed to pull one back late in the game, creating a tense finale that promised a potential equaliser. In the end, Brighton held firm, securing a memorable three points and handing City their third league defeat of the campaign.
The loss leaves the Citizens still in pursuit of their first WSL crown since 2016, but the gap to the summit remains significant. With only two matches remaining, they must secure at least five points to keep pace with third‑placed Arsenal, who enjoy three games in hand and a clear advantage in the title race. Post‑match, City manager Andree Jeglertz addressed Sky Sports, acknowledging the difficulty of the encounter while emphasizing the need for clinical finishing. "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," he said. Jeglertz stressed the importance of learning from the setback, noting that lapses in concentration cost the team dearly. "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," he added.
Looking ahead, Jeglertz expressed confidence that the squad would regroup in training and approach the upcoming clash with Liverpool with renewed focus. He also reminded fans that the title chase remains within reach if the team can secure two wins in their final fixtures. "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," he concluded.
City captain Alex Greenwood echoed a similar sentiment, lamenting missed opportunities but staying optimistic. "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," Greenwood explained. She emphasized the need to maintain a positive mindset and focus on the upcoming fixtures, including two cup finals.
"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," she affirmed.
Brighton’s standout performer, Madison Haley, reflected on the team's resilience and tactical adjustments. Speaking to Sky Sports, she highlighted the importance of tightening their shape and executing the game plan more effectively in the second 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 said. Haley also praised her teammates for their relentless work rate, especially during the closing minutes when City pressed hard.
"Credit to the girls working hard. They put pressure on us in the final minutes but we stayed together and got three points," she added. Reflecting on the season's trajectory, Haley noted that early performances had shown promise but results had been elusive. "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 explained.
Looking forward, Haley is aware of the challenges that lie ahead. Brighton faces a series of demanding fixtures, yet the team is determined to keep building momentum toward a potential Wembley 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 optimal video playback, a note repeated several times in the broadcast.
In addition, the league promoted a Super 6 competition offering a chance to win £250,000, encouraging fans to enter for free. The result serves as a reminder that in the Women's Super League, any team can turn the tide on a given day, and Brighton's victory over Manchester City underscores the growing competitiveness and excitement within women's football.