After the final whistle, Pep Guardiola and Jan Paul van Hecke got into a heated argument.
Pep Guardiola had a frank exchange of views with Jan Paul van Hecke (Image: GETTY)
After Brighton overcame a deficit to defeat Manchester City, Pep Guardiola talked about his altercation with Jan Paul van Hecke after the game. The Premier League winners took an early lead thanks to Erling Haaland, but the Seagulls rallied late to win.
Towards the end of the second half, Brighton’s Brazilian forward Joao Pedro scored the equaliser after jumping on a loose ball. With eight minutes left, Matt O’Riley scored the game-winning goal in his Premier League debut to give the home team all three points.
City tried desperately to level the score in stoppage time, but they were unable to deliver the decisive blow. Haaland and Van Hecke got into a tangle at one point, and both players received yellow cards as a result.
Before Van Hecke dropped to ground, they wrestled as they ascended to their feet, which led to a brief altercation between the two squads. Tensions threatened to explode after the final whistle, when Guardiola and Van Hecke got into a heated altercation.
Guardiola reflected on his words to the Brighton defender, saying: “He was tough with Erling. “Stay upright and avoid going to the grass when Erling confronts you,” I said. However, he performed admirably in the game.
For the first time in his managing career, Guardiola lost four games in a row as a result of the outcome at the Amex Stadium. With the defending champions still struggling, it puts City five points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League standings.
“I thought second half, and I’ve watched a lot of Manchester City, I’ve admired him for so long, but that’s one of the worst halves of football I’ve seen from a Pep Guardiola side,” Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports, expressing his harsh criticism of City’s second-half performance.
“They were terrible; they failed to pass the ball forward, defend, or win individual battles. They should have been ahead three goals at the interval after an outstanding first half.
“There was only going to be one winning team when he made the substitutions in the second half. You’re staring at characters when the game starts to elude you. Who will delve deeper? When you most need him, who will be the one to step up?
“No one was available to do it. It’s evident that the two center-backs don’t play together frequently. They appeared to be a group of strangers. From the perspective of Manchester City, the goals were extremely subpar.
