Pep Guardiola Discloses What he Said to Van Hecke After Brighton 2-1 Man City
Pep Guardiola has disclosed that he called out Jan Paul van Hecke over his clash with Erling Haaland after Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday. This setback marked Guardiola’s first-ever four-game losing streak as a manager. Meanwhile, City are now five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who overcame Aston Villa 2-0 later in the evening.
Haaland had given City the advantage in the first half, but Brighton made a remarkable comeback after the break, with Joao Pedro leveling in the 78th minute, before another substitute, 23-year-old midfielder Matt O’Riley, entered to score the decider in his Premier League debut. In the remaining moments, the evening’s first goalscorer let the emotions get the better of him, but after a scuffle with an opposing defender, Guardiola has been quick to shield his Norwegian striker.
Guardiola Discloses Details of Post-Match Dialogue With Van Hecke
He was observed in intense dialogue with the Netherlands international
Van Hecke was involved in a physical encounter with Haaland inside Brighton’s penalty area in the final stages of stoppage time. Both he and Haaland, who tugged the Brighton centre-back to the ground, were cautioned over the incident. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed the City player was at fault.
Despite this belief, Guardiola approached Van Hecke on the field after full-time and was in earnest discussion with the Netherlands international. When questioned about his words with Van Hecke after the game, Guardiola responded:
“That he was firm with Erling and when Erling then stands up, you have to stand up, he cannot go to the turf. Stay firm, no? You tug him all the game then after the contest you stay there. But he played a really fine game and commendations to Brighton.”
Guardiola also thinks City’s injury list has been a key element behind their poor spell of form. “The issue is we don’t have players,” Guardiola said in the same media interview. “I have four central defenders and not one of them is available, all four are injured. Rodri, the top player, is absent. Kevin de Bruyne is distant from his best. [Jeremy] Doku is sidelined, Jack [Grealish] is injured.”
After the international break, the reigning Premier League champions won’t be able to catch much rest in a demanding stretch that sees them face Tottenham Hotspur, Feyenoord, and Liverpool within seven days of each other. But if Guardiola and team want to get their season back on course, they will need to be aiming for three victories from three.