Pep Guardiola explains what he told Jan Paul van Hecke after Man City boss seen in heated confrontation with Brighton defender

Brighton staged an inspiring comeback, overcoming Erling Haaland’s early goal to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory, thanks to second half goals from Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the English champions and following the surprise 2-1 loss to the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium, Guardiola was spotted having a go at Van Hecke.

Throughout the game, Van Hecke was tasked with marking City’s towering striker Haaland, leading to a series of physical duels between the two players. The intensity between the pair peaked in the final minutes with both players going into the books. As the confrontation escalated, Van Hecke found himself on the ground clutching his head while Haaland stood over him. Guardiola believed that it was more theatrics from the defender and revealed that he urged the defender to remain resilient on the pitch.

When asked about the post-match confrontation with Van Hecke, Guardiola told reporters: "That he [Van Hecke] was strong with Erling and when Erling then stands up, you have to stand up, he cannot go to the grass. Stay strong, no? You pull him all the game then after the fight you stay there. But he played a really good game and congratulations to Brighton."

Despite the criticism, Guardiola hailed Van Hecke for his intensity throughout the 90 minutes as he had the difficult task of keeping a check on Haaland.

“Really good. How he linked inside. The players really stepped up a lot with the short passes," he said. "All the steps they can do. There are many good things with this club {Brighton]. Of course Fabian has added his own things. How he [Van Hecke] linked inside he was aggressive, It was very, very good.”

City’s fourth straight loss left them five points adrift of league leaders Liverpool, who pulled further ahead after a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. This setback adds pressure on Guardiola and his squad, who now have an international break to regroup before facing Tottenham on November 23.