Pep Guardiola: 'Ange Postecoglou makes football a better place'

Guardiola is preparing for his just second meeting with Postecoglou since guiding his Citizens side to a 3-1 pre-season friendly win over Japanese outfit Yokohama F Marinos in July 2019.

Postecoglou spent three years in charge of Yokohama, winning the J1 League title in 2019, before moving to Celtic where he won five domestic trophies over a two-year period, including back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.

The Australian has since taken the reigns at Tottenham and made an impressive start to life in the Premier League, winning eight and drawing two of his opening 10 games and as well as claiming the Manager of the Month awards for August, September and October.

Spurs have since been hampered by an injury crisis and have lost each of their last three league games, subsequently slipping down to fifth in the table, but they are only three points behind Man City in second, who have drawn their last two games against Chelsea and Liverpool.

Guardiola has been impressed with the Postecoglou's impact at Spurs and his previous clubs, and believed the 58-year-old "makes football a better place".

"I met [Postecoglou] just once in three or four pre-seasons ago against Yokohama," Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday. "It was the second pre-season game and I said wow, there are things I like.

"I said to the players I know you're not ready but we will face a good team in challenges, intense in build-up and use the keeper in the process.

"We won, all respect to Yokohama but we had better players, but I realised for the first time I met him and have followed him when he was at Celtic winning trophies and now in the short time he's been [at Spurs].

"Every team plays to the desire of the manager. He's done in the past in Japan and of course in Glasgow with Celtic and now. I think he makes football a better place, people like Ange."

Explaining in greater detail what has impressed him about Postecoglou's philosophy, Guardiola said: "The courage. High line, halfway so aggressive. A lot of combinations, use the keeper for build-up, runners everywhere. So dynamic. It happened at [Celtic] and now here. I know they lost the last games but did you see who they play?

"I see a lot of similarities when they were winning. Football is like that sometimes, two reds (cards) versus Chelsea, bad moments, but the dynamic is always positive."

"I've said many times that I am a manager but also a spectator, I enjoy a lot the way they play," Guardiola added. "The approach they have, and all the Spurs and fans in England can see they've been really good. He's already there in the short time, even the games they didn't win lately.

"I'm impressed in many things they do and the chances they create, how aggressive they are in all departments. He came here and in a few months he recognises his team perfectly."

Meanwhile, Guardiola has confirmed that Mateo Kovacic has "trained well" with the first team after missing the last two games with a thigh injury, and the midfielder could feature against Spurs.

John Stones is also feeling "much better" and will be assessed ahead of kickoff, while Matheus Nunes is "maybe days or weeks away" from a return as he continues to recover from a muscle problem.