Manchester City's 2-3 defeat delays their early Premier League title chance against Arsenal

The defeat against Brighton means Manchester City cannot clinch the Premier League title prematurely by two matches.

With the advantage of playing early in round 20 of the Women's Super League, Manchester City was expected to secure at least one point at Brighton's ground to win the title two rounds ahead. However, the Manchester representatives delivered a major disappointment.

Despite opening the scoring in the 5th minute through Kerolin, Manchester City could not maintain their advantage throughout the first half, as Madison Haley equalized for Brighton during stoppage time.

Right after the second half began, Kiko Seike put the hosts ahead, before Haley completed her brace. Even though Khadija Shaw narrowed the gap in the final minutes, creating a tense situation, Manchester City still suffered their third defeat of the season.

With this result, coach Andree Jeglertz and his team still cannot crown themselves two rounds early, despite holding a lead of 9 and 11 points respectively over the chasing rivals Chelsea and Arsenal. Nevertheless, the Manchester blues still hold a significant opportunity to take the top spot, as they have two matches remaining and only face Liverpool and West Ham, teams currently in the lower half of the standings.

For now, Manchester City will focus on hosting Liverpool at home in round 21 of the Women's Super League. Securing just one point against the representatives from Merseyside will officially crown the Manchester City girls without needing to consider results from other opponents, allowing them to fully prepare for the clash with Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.

On the other side, the Manchester City men's team also stands before the chance to complete a domestic treble this season. Coach Pep Guardiola's squad has already won the Carabao Cup after defeating Arsenal, and still retains full opportunities in both the Premier League and the FA Cup.

The ticket to the FA Cup final is almost within reach as they only face Southampton, a team currently playing in the English Championship. Meanwhile, the Premier League title race also temporarily leans toward the Etihad Stadium side.

Currently, Manchester City shares the same points with Arsenal but ranks higher due to superior statistics, temporarily occupying the top spot. However, pressure could quickly return if Arsenal gains points in their match against Newcastle in this round.