Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has lavished both Manchester City and boss Pep Guardiola with praise ahead of the two sides going head-to-head on Saturday afternoon, insisting that his opposite number is the “best” manager in the world.
Eager to pick up where they left off prior to the international break, both sides will be going in search of their third win of the Premier League campaign when they meet at the King Power Stadium.
After losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of the season, City bounced back in the best possible way, recording back-to-back 5-0 home wins over both Norwich City and Arsenal, making it clear that the defeat to Spurs may have been nothing more than a minor blip.
With City looking to make it three wins on the bounce, Foxes chief Rodgers is fully aware of the challenge that faces him and his players, with the Northern Irishman insisting that Guardiola is the “world’s best manager.”
Rodgers, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon, as quoted by Leicestershire Live, said: “They’re an incredible team. They have the world’s best manager, so it’s always a huge challenge. Their squad play the best positional game.
“They have the technique and hunger, and that’s why they’ve been so successful. You know you are going to be restricted on the ball, but when you have it, it’s having that confidence. You have to be concentrated.
“They have special talents who can make the difference. You need to defend well, play well, get a bit of luck, and take the opportunities.”
On Guardiola’s managerial qualities, Rodgers continued: “Pep’s an incredible coach, a pioneer for the modern game.
“It’s about numbers, creating overloads, but principally looking to have the ball as much as they can. He’s always had little slants about where the full-backs are.
“They’re a team of talented players with a talented coach who can maximise what he gets out of those players. We will look to be competitive.”
To date, Rodgers and Guardiola have gone head-to-head eight times during their managerial careers and it is the latter that currently holds the upper-hand, winning four of their meetings, with Rodgers coming out on twice and the remaining two tussles ending level.
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