Pep Guardiola claims Antonio Conte is arguably the world’s best coach ahead of Manchester City vs Ch

Pep Guardiola has branded Antonio Conte as ‘maybe the best coach in the world right now’ ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Chelsea.

The Spaniard has been hugely impressed with the manner in which Conte’s side have gone about their business this season, which sees them sit at the top of the Premier League.

City are only one point behind Chelsea heading into Saturday’s match and it should be an intriguing battle of two tactical minds at the Etihad.

And Guardiola is certainly a huge fan of Conte’s work and believes he is arguably the best coach on the planet at this moment in time.

‘Conte is, without doubt, one of the best, maybe the best coach in the world right now,’ Guardiola said ahead of the fixture.

‘They were contenders to win the Premier League from the beginning.

‘Now, maybe more than before. It’s a good test for us. It is the first time we are going to face each other.

‘It’s good to play against him. He made an exceptional job in Turin (with Juventus) and in the national job. It doesn’t matter if it is Serie A or the national team, you realise his strengths.

‘He has started here with maybe not good results, but they have won the last seven games, conceding one goal. That says a lot about how good they are.’