Pep Guardiola has already given his verdict on Roberto De Zerbi amid ‘next Man City boss’ claims

When Roberto De Zerbi travels to Manchester on Saturday with his Brighton & Hove Albion side, he’ll try and once again outwit one of the world's greatest coaches.

The Italian managed to beat Erik ten Hag, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta during his first year in English football, but that maiden victory over Pep Guardiola has eluded him so far. De Zerbi is widely viewed as one of the best young managers in Europe, and his tactical innovations have turned heads at the Premier League’s biggest sides.

In fact, the Telegraph claim that after Manchester City drew at the Amex last season, Guardiola confidently told his players ‘that’s the next Man City manager’. High praise indeed from a man who has firmly established the Blues as the preeminent force in England and Europe.

But Guardiola’s respect for De Zerbi is undeniable and in May, the ex-Barcelona manager likened his brand of football to a Michelin-Star restaurant.

“Roberto is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years,” Guardiola said in May. “There is no team playing in the way they play, it’s unique. I have the feeling when they arrive in the Premier League, the impact would be great.

“I couldn’t expect in this short time. They deserve the compliments and success they have. I try to learn a lot, it’s unique, like a Michelin-Star restaurant.”

He’s not the only Premier League-winning manager to have expressed his admiration for De Zerbi, and before the recent international break Klopp was also effusive in his praise of the Brighton boss.

“I could not respect more for what he is doing,” said the German. “Honestly, I’m a real supporter of it. The impact he has on football should not be underestimated.”

If Guardiola’s prediction is correct, then Klopp could one day be battling with De Zerbi for Premier League titles. But for now, a first scalp against Guardiola is the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk manager’s principle aim, even if Brighton head to the Etihad on a run of four matches without a win, and have conceded 10 in the last three.

For all De Zerbi’s breath-taking football, the Seagulls are yet to keep a clean sheet this season and only the three sides in the relegation zone have conceded more goals than Brighton in 2023/24. Yet, no-one has scored more than Brighton’s 21. Trying to outscore City may prove problematic, so a tactical switch from De Zerbi may not be off the cards, even if he’s unlikely to settle for anything less than three points on Saturday.

In contrast, after 15 years in top-level management, this City team is perhaps Guardiola’s best-ever defensive side, and the Catalan credited the improvement at the back as the biggest reason why they claimed that elusive first Champions League crown in June.

Guardiola will also be hoping to end his joint-longest losing run in the Premier League, with back-to-back losses against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal in the last two matches. Never has he lost three league matches in a row in England, and there could be a certain level of irony if the man tipped to one day take his job were to inflict that unwanted record.