Guardiola predicted Chelsea title challenge and their threat to Man City this season

Pep Guardiola identified Chelsea as one of his
greatest threats even before a ball was kicked this
season.
The Manchester City manager goes head-to-head
with Antonio Conte on Saturday in an early title
clash.
Guardiola admits the Italian’s Premier League
leaders are the team to beat this term after
recording seven straight wins. But their rise to the
top of the table has come as no surprise, with the
Catalan predicting Chelsea would be one of the title
favourites - despite ending last season in a lowly
10th place and 31 points behind champions
Leicester.
Despite Jose Mourinho taking over at Manchester
United and the threats of Arsene Wenger and
Mauricio Pochettino at Arsenal and Tottenham
respectively - Chelsea were the team Guardiola
singled out.
His biographer Marti Perarnau writes in his book
Pep Guardiola: The Evolution how the former
Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach acknowledged
a similarity between himself and Conte.
Conte has guided Chelsea to the top of the table
“I remember asking him in 2015 to name two
coaches with the greatest potential and, without a
second’s hesitation, he said, ‘Tuchel and Conte,’”
writes Perarnau.
“He sees a lot of himself in Conte: his passion, his
aggression, work ethic and determination to have
the ball as much as possible, the intensity of his
game and his competitive drive.
“‘Conte plays positional football too. It’s very
different from my own, but it’s a game of position
and he does it very, very well.’”
Saturday’s lunchtime kick off at the Etihad will say
much of each side’s title credentials, with Guardiola
describing Chelsea as ‘amazing’ in recent days.
Perarnau adds: “In private, Pep’s gone as far as
identifying Chelsea as one of the favourites to win
the league this year.
“The team has a superb coach, excellent players,
and a preferential calendar without any European
competition and therefore lots and lots of time to
concentrate on training and preparation for each
game.