The City boss has made no secret of his admiration both for the way Brighton play and the impact and inspiration of Seagulls manager Roberto de Zerbi.
Thursday night’s clash is another hugely important game as the race for the Premier League title comes down to the wire.
Since City last moved to the top of the table in the wake of Arsenal and Liverpool’s losses to Aston Villa and Crystal Palace respectively, the Gunners have recorded successive wins against Wolves and Chelsea to regain top spot, with Liverpool beating Fulham.
It means there will be no margin for error when City step out at the AMEX Stadium.
And addressing the media at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, the boss laid out the magnitude of the challenge awaiting City on the South coast.
“Tomorrow is one of the toughest games of the season,” Guardiola declared.
“Brighton away if you put in my calendar is always one of the toughest ones for the way they play.
“My admiration for Roberto de Zerbi is growing ever season.
Facing his side is harder.
“They have had a lot of problems. Important players were sold. They lost Colwill, Mac Allister, Caicedo… all very important players and they have had a lot of injuries.
“They played in more competitions [but] the way they play always is there.
“What he has done is an incredible, incredible job in Brighton.”
Last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea means City are still in with the chance to secure what would be a historic second successive domestic double of league and cup.
And in the wake of another draining campaign – both physically and mentally – the boss again made plain his admiration and respect for his squad and the way the City players have risen to meet each challenge put in their way.
“We have had a lot of problems with important players with injuries, but we are still there,” Pep pointed out.
“We are in the final of the FA Cup, we made the latter stages of the Champions League and in the Premier League we are there.
“But you can arrive to the end like this and in one week lose all titles, but the team have behaved unbelievable this season again.”
The boss added: “Every game is important now as every mistake and setback is difficult. But we have been here many times so we know what we are playing for.”
Brighton v City app coverage
Our official app allows you to follow all of the action from Brighton in one place.
Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at 18:55 (UK).
We will have guests Paul Dickov and Keith Curle on the latest Matchday Live show, offering their expert insight before, during and after the action.
They will also answer viewer questions throughout the broadcast, with audience participation actively encouraged on Matchday Live. To get in touch, send a WhatsApp to: +447537186538.
During the game you can also listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and Michael Brown while our text commentary continues.
Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.
Highlights from the match, as well as a full-match replay [available with a CITY+ subscription] can be accessed from midnight.
