What Pep Guardiola has said about new Chelsea manager Graham Potter

On Thursday Chelsea announced that Graham Potter has become the club's new manager, a coach that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has a lot of respect for.

Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel after just 20 months in charge, but acted swiftly to appoint Brighton manager Potter as their new manager.

Some have questioned the suitability of 47-year-old Potter to the job, as he takes on the highest profile role of his career following impressive spells in charge of Swansea and Brighton. However, if Guardiola's opinion is anything to go by, then Chelsea might have made a very good appointment.

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Pep was always complimentary of Potter before coming up against his Brighton team, frequently name-checking him as one of the top managers in the Premier League. There are clear similarities between the two coach's footballing philosophies, prompting speculation that Potter might one day be Guardiola's successor at the Etihad Stadium.

"Brighton are a joy to watch, a joy to analyse," Guardiola said during a press conference last season. "At the same time, when you see them you are concerned about their quality.

"We [City] will need to be at the highest standards and level to compete against them. I’m absolutely a big fan of Graham Potter.

"Everyone plays in their positions, the ball comes to the positions, players move with freedom and everyone knows what they have to do. They have the courage to play everywhere."

With Potter now in charge of one of City's main title rivals, there is every chance that the two coaches will go head-to-head in heated battles between the two sides this season.

City and Chelsea will meet at least three times this season; City will host