Mauricio Pochettino asked whether he likes Guardiola following handshake snub

The Chelsea boss reacted angrily following the 4-4 draw between the two teams at Stamford Bridge in November as he made a beeline towards referee Anthony Taylor.

Pochettino felt aggrieved that the full-time whistle was blown too early with Raheem Sterling leading a counter-attack in the closing seconds.

And ahead of the Blues' clash at the Etihad on Saturday, the ex-Tottenham manager was asked in his pre-match press conference whether he likes Guardiola.

To which he said: "If I like him? Yes, of course, as a coach, of course."

Pressed on the handshake incident, he remarked: "No, because I was so angry with the referee, remember? That was why.

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"I then apologised in my press conference after the game. Of course, it is not going to happen again.

"I was so upset with the referee and I went like an arrow to the pitch to try and fight with the referee. Big mistake and I say sorry again.

"I need to be more calm and relaxed and to show respect to the opponent. I feel really bad, but I apologise again."

Pochettino has faced Guardiola 23 times in his managerial career - more than any other boss - and boasts a dismal record against the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach.

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He has won just four matches, while losing on 13 occasions - a record-high for defeats against a single manager.

But should Chelsea emerge victorious away at City, Pochettino would become just the second boss after Jose Mourinho to beat Guardiola at four different teams, following wins over the Spaniard in charge of Espanyol, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.

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Commenting on his record, Pochettino stated: "It's not important for me. Of course, Pep is an unbelievable coach, one of the greatest coaches ever in football.

"Of course, he was in clubs with the possibility to win in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, and of course, not only me, the record not so good against him - it's too many coaches that suffer against him and his teams.

"The most important thing is to be involved in this game with the possibility to face a team like Manchester City and a possibility to face him, a team that always challenge.

"It's always a great opportunity to learn from the best."

Since beating the Citizens in the 2021 Champions League final, Chelsea have failed to beat City in their last seven attempts - losing six times.

But should they claim all three points, they could finish the weekend in seventh spot if Newcastle, West Ham and Brighton all lose.