Pep Guardiola’s heated exchange with Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke was the subject of plenty of intrigue on Saturday evening – and an expert lip-reader has now revealed the Manchester City manager’s jibes about ‘crying’ and being a ‘baby’.
The visitors fell to a fourth consecutive defeat for the first time under Guardiola in all competitions, and perhaps more pertinently dropped three more points in the ongoing title race.
Liverpool meanwhile continued their own charge with another win over Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, to move five points clear of Guardiola and Co.
Erling Haaland had opened the scoring with his 15th of the season to set City on the way to victory and an end to their poor run, but substitutes Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley had different plans, netting for the Seagulls on the way to a statement win.
Yet after the game, Guardiola was spotted deep in discussions with Van Hecke; it is not uncommon to see the City boss address one of his own charges after the final whistle – even after a win – but this time it was one of Brighton’s key performers.
Pep Guardiola (left) was seen talking and gesturing to Jan Paul van Hecke (right) after Brighton beat Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday night
This came shortly after Van Hecke had clashed with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland
Speaking after the seismic win, the defender – who had been involved in a scuffle with Haaland in stoppage time – explained that Guardiola had congratulated the Dutchman and his side, and also discussed a foul late in the game.
However, lip-reading expert Jeremy Freeman has shed new light on what was said between the two at full-time.
Freeman suggests Guardiola asked a series of questions to Van Hecke: ‘Are you joking?’, which was then followed by ‘Are you serious?’ and ‘You don’t do that’.
Van Hecke, according to Freeman, seemed confused by the questions, and didn’t offer much in the way of a response.
Guardiola is thought to have continued: ‘You asked for…crying’, and then, ‘Are you crying?’
He followed this up by asking whether the defender was ‘proud of it’, but this time the Brighton star responded: ‘Sure’.
Freedman states that Guardiola then comments: ‘Fair play for that…’ and Van Hecke, seemingly confused by this, asks ‘Why?’.
The City boss then speaks into Van Hecke’s ear, after which he adds: ‘No come on baby… No…
Brighton substitutes Matt O’Riley (left) and Joao Pedro (left) scored the goals for the Seagulls
Guardiola praised Van Hecke after the game for his aggressive defending up against Haaland
‘No, let’s go clap’
‘You played a good game. I still like to congratulate you’
Van Hecke’s response is then hard to make out, though he is thought to suggest that both sides played a good game, though it is unclear.
But any hostility appears to be gone by the end of the conversation, with Guardiola ending with: ‘Congratulations, anyway… Enjoy your night.’
The game saw Fabian Hurzeler’s side secure a fifth win of the season, and following the weekend’s action finish the latest round of games in sixth place, level on points with Arsenal. Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
City meanwhile are enduring something of a mid-season slump, though few would yet write off the four-in-a-row champions from going on one of there signature runs of wins numbering into the teens.
When asked about the incident after the game on Saturday, Van Hecke tried to play it down, saying: ‘We were just speaking about the foul at the end in the box. He asked me what happened in the box and I explained.
‘He congratulated me. I said they had a great team. He is a great manager.
‘You see the way his team played at the end of last season when we lost 4-0.’
The 24-year-old added: ‘I felt like the whole game I was in the rondo. I only have a lot of respect for him.’
Guardiola praised the Dutch defender saying: ‘He’s aggressive and a really really good player.’
He also addressed the incident in his post-match press conference, saying he told Van Hecke that he should stand up in his altercation with Haaland, noting how he had defended aggressively against him during the match.
Guardiola’s side have now suffered four defeats in a row for the first time under his reign
City will have a chance to get back to winning ways after the international break when they host Tottenham – who also suffered a shock defeat of their own by Ipswich this weekend – while Brighton will travel along the south coast to Bournemouth.
Guardiola has made it clear he still expects his team to recover to re-launch their bid for a fifth Premier League title in a row.
‘That’s what it is always about – not being complacent when you win a lot,’ he said.
‘We know how difficult it is and how nice it will be when we win again. Right now, we are not at our best, it’s obvious. But it’s still November – we’ll recover our best.’
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