Pep Guardiola responds to Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce after Whites boss says he is ‘as good’ as Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal men

Pep Guardiola has agreed with Sam Allardyce's claim he is as good a manager as the likes of the Man City boss.

Allardyce was appointed on a four-game deal at Leeds United as he seeks to save their season with the Elland Road club outside the relegation places on goal difference.

His first game is against Guardiola's in-form Man City side, as the Manchester club moved top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win over West Ham on Wednesday night.

Speaking in his first press conference as Leeds boss on Wednesday, Allardyce said there was nobody ahead of him when it came to management credentials in the Premier League.

"Far too many people think that I am old and antiquated which is far from the truth," he said.

"I might be 68 and old but there's nobody ahead of me in football terms. Not Pep, not Klopp, not Arteta. They do what they do, I do what I do. In terms of knowledge and depth of knowledge, I'm up there with them. I'm not saying I'm better than them, but certainly as good as they are."

Guardiola did not disagree with that suggestion and expects a tough afternoon for Man City at the Etihad Stadium when Leeds make the trip on Saturday afternoon.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss pointed to the examples of Neil Warnock at Huddersfield Town and Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace to back up Allardyce's claim.

Both managers came in on deals until the end of the season at their respective clubs, with Huddersfield just one point from guaranteeing Championship survival after being in the relegation zone upon Warnock's arrival.

Allardyce has guided other clubs out of danger, saving the likes of Sunderland, Everton and Crystal Palace in the past. He was relegated for the first time in his career with West Brom in 2021.

Guardiola feels the likes of Allardyce, who has managed a number of Premier League clubs, have left the division in a 'better position'.

“He [Allardyce] is right,” said Guardiola. “I want to be honest. Look what happened with Neil Warnock in Huddersfield. There’s a tendency for these incredible managers, they have [left] this Premier League or this competition in better position.

“They are really good and help us to be what we are. Roy Hodgson for Crystal Palace, look what they have done, they are really good, they have incredible experience and they know the game perfectly.

“It will be tough [on Saturday] because he [Allardyce] has the charisma and he will put out the pressure on the players and knows exactly what to do in this situation in a relegation battle. These type of old managers… now people with 35, 40, [people think] we invent football. No, football is already created

“These guys helped us to do it and that’s why. Neil Warnock, Huddersfield were in the last and now already out of the dangerous positions. I could not experience what Harry Redknapp has done in this country. There are many English managers who have done really well, you don’t have to be young to be a good manager. As much experience you have you are good.”