Pep Guardiola vs Ange Postecoglou: Complete head-to-head record

"I'm just copying Pep, mate."

Uttered with a backdrop of sarcasm, there's no doubt Ange Postecoglou would have taken offence to claims that the Australian's methodology has been taken straight out of the Pep Guardiola playbook.

Like so many, Postecoglou has undoubtedly sought inspiration from the current Manchester City boss. Leaning towards Guardiola in the ideological spectrum is seemingly a prerequisite for managers to succeed at the elite level.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou's influences transcend the great Guardiola and can be traced back to the revolutionary Mighty Magyars of the 1950s given his close relationship with Ferenc Puskas. Unlike his Spanish counterpart, the Australian has been pushed back and doubted throughout his managerial career, but he's now arrived in the big time after taking on the daunting Spurs job.

The early signs suggest we'll enjoy our fair share of duels between the two managers on English shores. Here's a reminder of how every Guardiola vs Postecoglou clash has played out so far.

Manchester City 3-3 Tottenham - November 2023

The first competitive meeting between the two managers certainly didn't disappoint.

While Spurs have proven to be City's bogey team throughout Guardiola's reign, very few gave Postecoglou a chance of overseeing anything but a convincing defeat given his list of absentees when they faced off in November 2023.

And while City could've been out of sight in the first half, the Lilywhites played with bravery and courage throughout. The hosts took a 2-1 lead into half-time, but Guglielmo Vicario was rarely tested after he expertly tipped Bernardo Silva's effort over at the start of the second period.

The visitors eventually restored parity through a fine Giovani Lo Celso finish, but they were forced to come from behind again after Jack Grealish rounded off a quick transition. However, this bonkers fixture was always going to serve up more drama, and Guardiola's side were once again on the receiving end of more Lilywhite magic as Dejan Kulusevski dominated Nathan Ake in the air and shouldered home Spurs' third in the last minute of normal time to ensure the spoils were shared.

Tottenham 0-1 Man City - January 2024

Having overseen a treble triumph in 2022/23, Guardiola headed into the 2023/24 season with one target: "Score a goal against Spurs away."

Ahead of this FA Cup tie, the Cityzens had played five times in Tottenham's swanky new stadium and lost five times - failing to score a single goal in the process.

However, while Guardiola's men had constantly faced up against deep-lying Spurs defences and struggled to contain the Lilywhites on the counter, the idealistic Postecoglou meant the hosts went away from the methods which had previously brought them success against the Sky Blues.

In truth, this was a pretty drab cup tie where Spurs struggled to lay a glove on the visitors. They were outshot 18 to one, with City scoring their first goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the dying embers of the contest. Ake bundled home the only goal of the game to send Guardiola's side into the fifth round.

Tottenham 2-1 Man City - October 2024

A demanding 2024/25 schedule convinced Guardiola to rotate for this Carabao Cup fourth round tie, with the Man City boss opting against using the likes of Erling Haaland while showcasing some of the club's finest youth products.

Spurs, pre-injury crisis, went strong and raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr.

Matheus Nunes, playing out wide, starred for the visitors, and it was the former Wolves midfielder who helped City back into the contest before half-time to wrap up a thrilling first half.

The Cityzens, despite the rotation, had the momentum heading into the second period, but Spurs were able to weather the storm and frequently threaten at the other end. They didn't require a third to advance into the fifth round, with their Carabao Cup journey eventually ending at Anfield in the second leg of their semi-final tie.

Man City 0-4 Tottenham - November 2024

Man City's defeat in the Carabao Cup sparked a remarkable demise which thrust them out of Premier League title contention. Guardiola's side endured nadir after nadir both domestically and in Europe, but no defeat was more emphatic than Spurs' 4-0 triumph at the Etihad in November.

Ange's squad was starting to thin by the time this fixture rolled around, with Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin lasting 90 minutes as the centre-back pair.

The early signs were ominous despite City's collapse in form, but Tottenham settled swiftly and started to have their way with the hosts in possession. James Maddison produced a magical display and helped Spurs into a 2-0 lead with a pair of cool finishes, before Pedro Porro crashed home a third at the start of the second half.

Kevin De Bruyne entered the fray and attempted to ignite the hosts, but City were unable to breach Guglielmo Vicario's defences despite the Belgian's best efforts. Spurs' unlikely rout was completed in stoppage time as Timo Werner breezed past the once nifty Kyle Walker and crossed for Brennan Johnson to tap home.

It was an example of just how efficient Spurs can be with this manager at the helm.

Tottenham 0-1 Man City - February 2024

Tottenham were hunting their third win over Man City when the pair met in north London. The hosts had won three straight in the Premier League, while City had just endured a tough week having been comfortably beaten by Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Erling Haaland was back from injury, though, and the Norwegian was back on the scoresheet early on as he guided home Jeremy Doku's cross. City were dominant thereafter but unable to put the game to bed before Spurs pushed after the restart.

Wilson Odobert came close at the back post before Postecoglou made a quadruple change which further shifted the momentum in Spurs' favour. Ederson was drawn into a couple of brilliant saves, channeling his inner Stefan Ortega from the previous season, and Pape Sarr somehow missed a last-gasp header after Haaland had a second goal ruled out for handball.

Pep Guardiola vs Ange Postecoglou H2H record

• Pep Guardiola: 3 wins
• Ange Postecoglou: 2 wins
• Draws: 1

Goals scored

• Teams managed by Guardiola: 6
• Teams managed by Postecoglou: 9

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