Brighton hold Man City to secure top-six finish

Pep Guardiola praised his Manchester City players for shrugging off their hangovers after clinching the Premier League title with a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Wednesday to stretch an unbeaten run to 25 matches.

A point was also enough for the Seagulls to guarantee they will finish sixth in the table and secure a place in the Europa League next season.

Phil Foden fired the English champions in front, but Brighton were well worthy of the point given to them by Julio Enciso’s stunning long-range strike.

“Only 48 hours before they drank all the alcohol in Manchester,” said Guardiola. “Today they showed why they are the champions. “We were humble and run a lot. That is why we are the champions for many years, these players showed something special.”

Guardiola heaped praise on Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi pre-match, hailing the Italian as one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years.

The City coach showed his respect by restoring a number of star names to his side that missed Sunday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea to toast a fourth league title in five years.