The future is looking bright for Brighton, while Pep Guardiola shows his champions mentality
When Julio Enciso kicked his right leg back from outside the box, the intentions were clear. In a pistol-like motion, the ball went a little left, a little right, before arcing into a top corner. Manchester City’s stand-in keeper Stefan Ortega didn’t stand a chance.
The strike was no surprise; it is a weapon that the midfielder clearly has in the closet. Case in point: his screamer, of the same nature, against Chelsea last month to win 2-1.
Though the goal, more broadly, was a reminder of not just Enciso’s clear potential – at 19 he’s only going to continue to rise in levels – but Brighton’s seemingly endless assembly line of South American talent.
Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Pervis Estupinan are all from that part of the world and have shined brilliantly this season.
All three go for hefty sums of money, if and when the time comes; Mac Allister looks certain to be heading to Liverpool at the end of the season for a fee of around £60m.
Julio Enciso scored a wonder goal to secure Brighton a point against Manchester City
The midfielder let go from afar, with the ball diving into Stefan Ortega’s top corner
It was a reminder of the assembly line of South American talent in Brighton, with Moises Caicedo (right), Alexis Mac Allister and Pervis Estupinan all coming from that part of the world
Enciso could well join such an esteemed group in seasons to come, if he continues this way. And for Brighton, that’s fine. You can bet they’re already mapping this out now.
But it also helps if a stream of young talent generally doesn’t seem to dry up quickly.
Evan Ferguson, for starters, is already knocking on that door. Loud.
Nurturing talent can trump money for Brighton
City’s luxury of handling more than £400 million in a bank is not a new or surprising point.
Although ambitious teams like Brighton, who will get their first ever taste of European football next season, are breaking new ground by being able to play against weakened XIs.
On Wednesday night, Lewis Dunk, who received his first England call-up since November 2018, Mac Allister and Joel Veltman all started on the bench. Dunk didn’t even come up.
It’s a reflection of the strength in depth that teams outside of the “supposed” top four can muster together.
There was once a time when the Seagulls playing anything other than their best 11 players per game would have caused a lot of resentment. Especially after a loss.
Brighton showed they are ready for Europe next season after resting key players against City
The case was taken up on the face of it on Wednesday evening. However, it helps if you can ferociously push the best team in the country, with a high chance of a win another day.
The result and the class on display truly showed that nurturing talent can trump money.
It’s often a romantic idealism, but not in this case, as can be seen with Danny Welbeck’s free-kick hitting the crossbar or Kaoru Mitoma missing more than once from in front of goal.
If that’s not motivation for those teams with tight pockets but big ambition, there’s no hope for them.
Ruthless Pep always wants to win
Pep Guardiola bounced into the post-match press room with a sense of opulence. He wouldn’t have won and his side could very well have been beaten if Brighton had taken their chances.
It certainly wasn’t their best performance this season. Honestly, they had just won the title four days ago. If City can’t get a less than desirable showing now, then when?
Although it was what Guardiola said in between his match analysis that gave a glimpse into what makes Man City Man City: an unbridled will to win.
He said: ‘The game we played (was) 48 hours after we drank all the alcohol in Manchester and 48 hours later we behaved and showed why we were champions against that team.’
On Haaland’s disallowed goal, he added: ‘Look out. Look at it. If it’s a mistake, any action by Erling is a mistake.”
Pep Guardiola’s unbridled will to win is a small part of why City are such a ruthless machine
It didn’t matter that this was basically a deadly match for them; especially with Inter Milan in the Champions League final on June 10.
Guardiola just wants to win. No ifs, buts or maybes – even if you ask nicely. It’s a small part of why City are such a ruthless machine.
It’s a mindset that has been forged over the years into a team that has come to believe in it stubbornly.
A clear ‘back-off’ for those with an ‘it’s the participation that counts’.