WHILE Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are in the unlikeliest of positions having to battle desperately for a Champions League berth next season, the manager did not mince his words in describing the enormity of the challenge.

City dropped points in a 2-2 Premier League home draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday to leave the champions provisionally in fifth place with nine games to go.

"Until the end, I think so," Guardiola told reporters. "Nine games, nine finals.

"I'm always confident," he added. "I am a master. I find the positiveness in everything. I know it will be difficult."

Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush struck for City, who looked poised for victory at Etihad Stadium before City defender Abdukodir Khusanov's own goal meant the teams had to settle for a point apiece, Brighton's first at Etihad.

"It is a fact we won the first point here but more a disappointing feeling we didn't go home with three points," said Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Haaland made history by achieving 100 Premier League goal involvements quicker than anyone before, in 94 games, six fewer than former Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer.

"Not bad," Guardiola smiled.

The afternoon featured an unwanted record for the manager, however, as Khusanov's own goal was the 40th conceded in the league this season, the most by any City team managed by Guardiola in a single campaign.

"We started the second half 2-1 up and had a good chance," Guardiola said. "In the corner we were sloppy and they equalised then we were unstable. That is normal.

"We came back in the game and had really good moments. They had one clear chance then but we were there and we pushed until the end. We'll take the point."

Meanwhile, Southampton manager Ivan Juric knows the writing is on the wall with his team set to be relegated from the Premier League after a ninth straight home defeat on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he wants to go down fighting.

Jorgen Strand Larsen netted twice in a game where Southampton looked the better team for long periods but the home side lacked the finishing touch and missed opportunities.

With nine points from 29 matches, Southampton could finish bottom as the worst side in Premier League history if they do not overhaul Derby County's return of 11 points in the 2007-08 season.

"Today was another game that suggests we are not ready to take points... There's always something missing," Juric, who took charge in December, told BBC.

"The will to play well and to attack is there. The lads want to win the game and do their best. There are moments when we're not good enough and that's it.

"We will go down, but (we want to go down) with more fight, more dignity and more everything."

Southampton fans have seen only one league victory at St Mary's Stadium this season, a 1-0 win over Everton when the Merseyside club was struggling under Sean Dyche.

Boos rang out at the stadium after the second goal and the final whistle but Juric said the fans' reaction was tame in comparison to Italy, where he has managed several clubs -- including AS Roma this season.

"I think we are living a good life here. There is not too much pressure," he told reporters.

"If we are in Italy, you cannot go out, you cannot go with your kids to school, you cannot go to the restaurant - it's completely different.

"If they do like to boo, it's the minimum they can do to express that they are not happy with what we are doing, with my changes, with my substitutions. There are no excuses for us at this moment."