Pep Guardiola reveals what he said to Brighton star after losing more ground on Liverpool

Pep Guardiola has opened up on the flashpoint with Jan Paul van Hecke following a remarkable upset as Brighton overcame After Man City went ahead through Erling Haaland, Brighton's late rally secured a stunning win.

Joao Pedro netted for the Seagulls in the closing stages of the match, capitalizing on a defensive lapse, while Matt O'Riley's debut Premier League goal eight minutes from time ensured Brighton clinched a memorable three points.

The champs pushed hard for an equalizer as the clock ran down A feisty moment between Haaland and Van Hecke saw both players booked after they grappled and the Brighton player hit the deck, sparking a minor melee.

Post-match, had strong words for Van Hecke, : "He was strong with Erling. I said: 'When Erling then stands up to you, stay on your feet, don't go to the grass'. But he played a really good game."

City's unexpected slump, marked by the loss at Amex Stadium, is Guardiola's fourth consecutive defeat—a new low in his tenure—which also sees them trailing Liverpool by five points in the title chase, struggling to find their best form.

Jamie Redknapp didn't hold back in his assessment of Manchester City's performance on Sky Sports, remarking: "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.

"They were abject, they didn't defend, they didn't win individual battles and they didn't pass the ball forwards. They were excellent first half, at half-time they should've been three goals up.

"In the second half, when he made the subs, there was only one team going to win it. When the game starts to run away from you, you're looking at characters. Who is going to dig in? Who is going to get on the ball when you need him most?

"There was nobody to do it. The two centre-backs are not a regular partnership and you could see it. They looked like a bunch of strangers. The goals, they were really poor from Manchester City's point of view."