Postecoglou's bravery makes football better, says Pep Guardiola

Postecoglou's stunning start to his reign took Spurs to the top of the table, but Tottenham have since suffered three consecutive defeats to slip to fifth. The Australian has drawn criticism for his refusal to adopt a more conservative style, even while Spurs are without a number of key players through injury and suspension.

James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison will all be sidelined for the trip to the Etihad, while Sergio Romero completes a three-game ban. But Guardiola said Postecoglou's history of success in his homeland, at Yokohama Marinos in Japan and at Celtic, where he won five trophies in two seasons, proves he should stick to his beliefs.

"Every team plays to the desire of the manager," Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.