Pep Guardiola lauds ‘really exceptional’ Manchester City star despite fresh title race setback

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola paid tribute to full first-team debutant Max Alleyne and Abdukodir Khusanov despite a frustrating 1-1 draw with Brighton on Wednesday night.

An injury-ridded City side were held to a third draw in as many outings in 2026 as Kaoru Mitoma’s 60th minute equaliser cancelled Erling Haaland’s 40th minute penalty to land another blow to the hosts’ title chances at the Etihad Stadium.

City were wasteful in attack and missed key names in defence, with Alleyne lining up in central defence for his full debut for his boyhood club just days after being recalled from loan at Watford in the wake of injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol against Chelsea.

Alleyne lined up alongside Abdukodir Khusanov in central defence, with Nathan Ake starting at left-back as Guardiola handed a much-needed rest to Nico O’Reilly, who was partially at fault for Chelsea’s injury-time leveller at the Etihad Stadium last week.

Squandering a host of presentable chances to kill the game at various points, City saw Brighton level proceedings in the second-half and leave the Etihad Stadium with a deserved point against a Guardiola side who are yet to pick up a win in 2026.

While Alleyne and Khusanov are raw talents and need moulding, Guardiola was full of praise for his centre-half pairing – totalling 41 years – against Brighton. “They (Alleyne and Khusanov) played exceptional,” the Manchester City manager said in his post-match press conference.

“Khusanov is incredible; helped us with long balls in-behind. He can control all the width, he’s so fast. He will grow up, be more courageous and involved in the process, the play. It’s a question of time. Defensively, he’s top.

“And Max (Alleyne), yesterday (on Tuesday) first training. I’m grateful and (want to) say thank you to Watford because they helped him a lot to grow up as a footballer. He was a little bit defensively an issue, but today all the long balls they won (because) he’s so fast in transition.

“On the ball he’s really, really exceptional. He missed one ball, the rest was top! Really, really, really top. He will have many (victories) in the future.”

Gvardiol suffered a tibial fracture in his right leg against Chelsea and was scheduled to undergo surgery later this week, with the 23-year-old Crotia international facing a race against time to return to fitness in time for the FIFA World Cup.

Dias has been sidelined for four to six weeks with a hamstring injury, with Manchester City since re-calling Alleyne from Watford and strengthening their pursuit of Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, who could leave Selhurst Park as the January transfer window progresses.

Alleyne and Khusanov could retain their starting place when City welcome Exeter City to the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup third-round on Saturday afternoon, with Nathan Ake also expected to feature as speculation looms over the Netherlands international’s future in Manchester.