The instant impression Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has made on the Premier League is no surprise to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
The Spanish coach has revealed ahead of Sunday's meeting at the Etihad Stadium that he has been a fan of the Australian's work for years, since their meeting in a 2019 pre-season friendly.
City beat Postecgolou's Yokohama F. Marinos 3-1 that summer yet the Japanese team managed to keep more possession than their opponents, a significant achievement against any Guardiola side.
Spurs head to Manchester on a run of three consecutive defeats but Guardiola has been impressed by their attacking mindset.
"Even the games they didn't win lately, I'm impressed by the good things they have done and the chances they created," he told reporters.
"[They are] aggressive in all departments. He came here and you recognise his team perfectly [already].
"Every team plays for the desire of the manager, what he's done in Japan and in Glasgow with Celtic and now. He makes football a better place, people like Ange.
"I enjoy a lot their approach, all Spurs fans can admit his impact has been quick."
City boss Guardiola described exactly what it is about Postecoglou's teams that have caught his eye over the years.
Although Tottenham have enjoyed a role as the champions' bogey team in recent years, the 58-year-old is set to tear up their own rulebook for how to beat City this weekend and face the Etihad all guns blazing.
"I met him in pre-season playing Yokohama," Guardiola noted. "I saw some clips and I said, 'Wow'.
"I told the players, we are not ready because it's pre-season, but we will face a good team - the build-up, high pressing. We won, all respect to Yokohama but we had better players. Since then I've followed him, how well he did in Glasgow."
When asked what he liked about Postecoglou's teams, he added: "The courage, the high line - so aggressive.
"Lots of combinations, they use the keeper. They arrive on the [wings], so dynamic, doesn't matter who they play against, they play their game. It happened in Glasgow and now here.
"They lost the last [three] games, but the players know why. Lots of similarities when they were winning. Two red cards versus Chelsea, bad moments, but they are always positive."
