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.

Pep Guardiola vs Ange Postecoglou H2H record

• Pep Guardiola: 1 wins
• Ange Postecoglou: 0 wins
• Draws: 1

Goals scored

• Teams managed by Guardiola: 4
• Teams managed by Postecoglou: 3

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